Astronomy book listing Ceres as a planet?

In summary: As it is, Ceres is currently classified as a "dwarf planet" along with Pluto and Eris. In summary, the conversation discussed the search for a relatively cheap astronomy book that includes Ceres as a planet. It was also mentioned that Ceres may eventually become a planet in the future. A suggestion was made to check Project Gutenberg for suitable books, and a link to one such book was shared. The conversation also delved into the history of the naming of Uranus and the possibility of the asteroid belt forming a planet. However, it was noted that even if this were to happen, the resulting planet would still be very small and classified as a dwarf planet.
  • #1
jenny_shoars
21
0
Does anyone know of a (relatively) cheap astronomy book which has Ceres officially labelled as a planet? I realize it may not be extremely cheap seeing that it would have to be from the 1800s, but perhaps there's one that was commonly enough in print to not be so hard to find?

It's both useful as something to show people in helping them to understand why Pluto is no longer a planet and it would just be fun to own such a book.

If there's a free PDF version of such a book online, that would be great to know about as well, but a physical copy would be best.

Thanks!
 
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  • #2
Technically that book could be correct in the future! :biggrin:

In many thousands of years, Ceres should clump up enough of the Asteroid Belt to form a planet.
 
  • #3
Jenny I would check if there is something suitable at Project Gutenberg.
 
  • #4
Astrolekker said:
Technically that book could be correct in the future! :biggrin:

In many thousands of years, Ceres should clump up enough of the Asteroid Belt to form a planet.

Just so no one is missinformed the above is wrong in every shape and form. The asteroid is slowly thining not clumping together.
 
  • #5
glappkaeft said:
Just so no one is missinformed the above is wrong in every shape and form. The asteroid is slowly thining not clumping together.

Oh really? :confused: Sorry.
It was something I read a while back.
 
  • #6
Thanks for the Project Gutenberg, I will give that a try for sure.
 
  • #7
Astrolekker said:
Technically that book could be correct in the future! :biggrin:

In many thousands of years, Ceres should clump up enough of the Asteroid Belt to form a planet.

Also, even if Ceres did manage to collect all of the mass of the asteroid belt, it still would only be <1500km across, and have less than 5% of the mass of the moon - not nearly enough to qualify as a planet.
 
  • #9
Ceres, Georgian, and Other Planets

I followed the link Jenny gave and see that the book was published in 1816 in Cambridge. Among the planets it lists are Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta, and Georgian. Most of these names are probably familiar as the names of asteroids, but what is "Georgian"?

After William Herschel discovered a new planet in 1781 he had the honor of naming it. To quote Wikipedia: "Herschel decided to name the object Georgium Sidus (George's Star), or the 'Georgian Planet' in honour of his new patron, King George III...Herschel's proposed name was not popular outside of Britain, and alternatives were soon proposed." No kidding! The name finally agreed-upon "...became universal in 1850 when HM Nautical Almanac Office, the final holdout, switched from using Georgium Sidus to Uranus."

Interestingly, another proposed name for the planet was "Neptune," which became the name of the next planet discovered.
 
  • #10
phyzguy said:
Also, even if Ceres did manage to collect all of the mass of the asteroid belt, it still would only be <1500km across, and have less than 5% of the mass of the moon - not nearly enough to qualify as a planet.
If the whole asteorid belt would clump together, it would be a planet, based on the current definition of planets:
  • it would orbit the sun - obvious
  • it would be in (approximate) hydrodynamic equilibrium - that is satisfied, Ceres alone is big enough for that
  • it would have cleared its orbit of other objects - that is the assumption of the scenario
 
  • #11
mfb said:
If the whole asteorid belt would clump together, it would be a planet, based on the current definition of planets:
  • it would orbit the sun - obvious
  • it would be in (approximate) hydrodynamic equilibrium - that is satisfied, Ceres alone is big enough for that
  • it would have cleared its orbit of other objects - that is the assumption of the scenario

You're right of course, but it would be a very small planet.
 

FAQ: Astronomy book listing Ceres as a planet?

Is Ceres still considered a planet?

As of 2021, Ceres is not considered a planet. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) reclassified Ceres as a "dwarf planet," along with Pluto and Eris. This means that although Ceres is a spherical object that orbits the sun, it has not cleared its orbit of other objects and therefore does not meet the criteria for a full planet.

Why was Ceres originally classified as a planet?

When Ceres was first discovered in 1801, it was classified as a planet due to its size and spherical shape. At the time, it was believed to be the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. However, as more similar objects were discovered in the same region, scientists reevaluated its classification.

What is the current status of Ceres?

As mentioned before, Ceres is currently classified as a "dwarf planet." It is the largest object in the asteroid belt and is also considered a protoplanet, meaning it is a remnant of the early solar system that never fully formed into a planet.

Can Ceres support life?

It is unlikely that Ceres can support life as we know it. It is a cold, rocky object with no atmosphere and no liquid water on its surface. However, some scientists believe that there may be subsurface oceans on Ceres that could potentially harbor microbial life.

Is there a chance that Ceres will be reclassified as a planet in the future?

There is always a possibility that new information or criteria could lead to a reclassification of Ceres as a planet. However, for now, it is widely accepted as a dwarf planet and it is unlikely that this will change anytime soon.

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