A Sudden Change in Planets

Big Picture Science

Science, Technology

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 September 2014

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A planet is a planet is a planet. Unless it’s Pluto – then it’s a dwarf planet. But even then it’s a planet, according to experts. So what was behind the unpopular re-classification of Pluto by astronomers, and were they justified? As the New Horizons spacecraft closes in on this small body, one planetary scientist says that this dwarf planet could be more typical of planets than Mars, Mercury, and Saturn. And that our solar system has not 8 or even 9 planets, but 900. Also, meet a type of planet that’s surprisingly commonplace, although we don’t have one in our solar system: super Earths. Could they harbor life? And the DAWN mission continues its visit to the two most massive residents of the asteroid belt: Vesta and Ceres. Discover what these proto-planets may reveal to us about the early solar system. Guests: Alan Stern – Planetary scientist, Southwest Research Institute, Principal Investigator of the New Horizons mission Marc Rayman – DAWN Mission chief engineer and mission director David Stevenson – Professor of planetary science at CalTech Rebekah Dawson – Astronomer, postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley David Eicher – Editor-in-chief, Astronomy Magazine Descripción en español Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media Podcast.
0:05.0	This episode is brought to you by Shopify.
0:07.0	Looking to start a side hustle or become your own boss, do it with Shopify.
0:11.0	Whether you're selling succulents or stilettoes, Shopify has the industry leading tools to help you create, control and grow your own business.
0:18.0	So get serious about selling and get Shopify today.
0:21.0	Sign up for a one pound per month trial period
0:23.6	at Shopify. co-deek slash special offer,
0:26.4	or lower case.
0:27.5	That's Shopify. co-deekk slash special offer.
0:32.4	The world is constantly changing and transforming.
0:35.0	Cut through some of the noise with What's New With Wired,
0:39.0	a podcast that goes in depth on the latest news and technology and culture.
0:43.7	Their award-winning journalism will help you make sense of what's happening in the world.
0:48.3	Listen to What's New With Wired wherever you get your podcasts.
0:52.1	That's What's New With Wired, wherever you get your podcasts. That's what's new with Wired wherever you get your
0:55.1	podcasts. Few things are certain in life but you can always count on the number of
0:59.7	planets in our solar system. There were precisely nine, but then that number became eight.
1:04.4	And today, there may be hundreds.
1:06.5	The expansion of our solar system, arguments over dwarf planet Pluto, and why you might be living
1:11.6	on dwarf planet Earth,
1:13.0	it's big picture science. In middle school you memorize the planets of the solar system in order of
1:37.2	their distance from the Sun. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Big Picture Science, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Big Picture Science and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.