The spacecraft Cassini, which is part of the Cassini-Huygens mission launched back in 1997, has discovered the 60th satellite of the planet Saturn while taking snapshot images of the planet in orbit.

Based from initial observations, the new moon is around two kilometers wide and lies between two other moons Methone and Pallene. Because of the new moon's proximity to Methone and Pallene, scientists are thinking that the three actually compose a family of satellites.

Cassini Imaging Team scientist Professor Carl Murray from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) had this to say,

After initially detecting this extremely faint object, we carried out an exhaustive search of all Cassini images to date and were able to find further detections. The Saturnian system continues to amaze and intrigue us with many hidden treasures being discovered the more closely we look.

Murray added that their team will further use Cassini's cameras to look for other "family members" as well as other satellites orbiting Saturn. Currently, the new moon is dubbed as "Frank" but the official name will be decided later on by the International Astronomical Union.

And this just in from the space watching community: Pluto might be experiencing a really bad 21st Century, as the dwarf planet may not actually be even the largest dwarf planet as was originally presumed. Eris, a large rocky body within the Kuiper Belt, was found to be 100 kilometers wider in diameter, but was assumed to be less dense than Pluto.

Michael Brown, the original discoverer of Eris, along with Emily Schaller, both from the California Institute of Technology, also discovered that Eris is 16.6 billion trillion kilograms. Their estimate was derived from an observation of the body's satellite orbit through the Hubble Space Telescope and Keck Observatory.

Just last year, Pluto was demoted to what the International Astronomical Union called a dwarf planet, which in their eyes can't qualify as a true planet. People who've had a soft side for the former ninth celestial body of our solar system took this news for disappointment. And this new development may dampen their spirits even more.

But Frank Bertoldi of the University of Bonn in Germany believes that not everyone was fazed by the IAU's decision. "The schoolkids still like Pluto whether it's a minor planet, a dwarf planet, or a planet. Pluto is Pluto, and it will stay out there no matter what we call it," he said.

Bertoldi is sure that Eris will not be able to hold it's current crown as the largest dwarf planet in our solar system. There are other portions of the Kuiper Belt that haven't been explored, according to Bertoldi, and it's possible a larger one is hidden within its mysterious ring.

"I'm not heartbroken. I'm just shook up," said 93-year-old Patricia Tombaugh, wife of Clyde Tombaugh who discovered Pluto back in 1930.

In a phone interview from her home in Las Cruces, the old woman was asked regarding her sentiments about Pluto losing its planetary status. She said that she is frustrated regarding the decision, but says that her husband would have understood. Awwww...

Clyde Tombaugh was 24 when he discovered Pluto while working at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona where he spent months examining images of the sky. He was the only person in the Western Hemisphere to have discovered a planet in our solar system, until the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of its planetary status.

Tombaugh, who died in 1997, had reportedly fought off previous attempts to demote Pluto from being a classical planet to a "dwarf" one, but his wife said that this time, Clyde would have probably agreed with the decision because other planetary objects are now seen in the Kuiper Belt, the belt of comets near the edge of the solar system where Pluto resides.

"He was a scientist. He would understand they had a real problem when they start finding several of these things flying around the place," Patricia Tombaugh said. Awww, very true Mrs.Tombaugh, there are a lot things flying around nowadays. And we're all shook up just like you.

The ongoing debate as to what exactly constitutes a "planet" has aroused some ire among astronomers at the meeting of the International Astronomical Union in Prague. The planet definition committee offered three new definitions in an attempt to mollify the scientists that had rejected the first proposal. However, most of the scientists in attendance rejected these as well.

The latest proposal continues to define planets as round objects that orbit the Sun, but adds the following: "In our solar system, we distinguish between the eight 'classical' planets as the dominant objects in their local population zones, and 'dwarf' planets, which are not." This is an attempt to find common ground with the astronomers who had come up their own definition last week.

"They have presented practically the same resolution as before," says Julio Fernandez of the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay. Fernandez was one of the authors of last week's  proposal.  He added, "Most of the people here think it makes no sense."

It seems like hair-splitting. Everyone agrees that objects in Solar orbit fall into one of three categories: – the big planets from Mercury to Neptune; a number of "dwarf" planets (i.e. Pluto, Ceres, et.al.); and asteroids.  What subject of just what constitutes a "dwarf planet" seem to be the problem. Fernandez says they aren't planets at all, while the Committee says they are.  It's a small thing until you have to answer the question of exactly how many "official" planets actually orbit the Sun. 

A lunchtime meeting turned hostile when Fernandez tried to read his alternative definition.  He was cut off by Ron Ekers, the IAU president.  "I think it was disgraceful treatment," says Brian Marsden, formerly head of the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As more questions were prevented, one astronomer cried out: "If there is democracy, listen to the questions. Let the people speak!" More of the scientists became angered when a  member of planet committee, MIT's Richard Binzel, said: "You can vote based on physics, or maybe you have some preconceived idea of what a planet should be."

Irish astronomer Mike Bailey said "With the present state of knowledge, it's impossible to draw the line between dwarf planets and asteroids." A final resolution declaring that a planetary companion can be a full-fledged planet  if its center of gravity of the system is out in space was rejected by most of those in attendance. That resolution would have made Charon a planet, leaving other planetary companions as moons.

Now there is an attempt to reconcile the warring parties' views in preparation of a vote on the subject coming up this Thursday.

And the rollercoaster ride at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) meeting in Prague continues. After delving on the possibility that Pluto might be demoted to a dwarf-planet, which actually means it is a non-planet, the convention has gone deeper into the issue by putting up a new proposal for Resolution 5, specifically on the definition of a planet.

"A planet is a celestial body that (a) is by far the largest object in its local population, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, (c) does not produce energy by any nuclear fusion mechanism."

It would seem that the debate largely is founded on the question of just how much size, and what shape does a planet really have, as well as the presence of self-determined gravity.

According to the new proposal, if the definition is to be strictly followed, "Pluto, Ceres and other large Trans-Neptunian objects in quasi-hydrostatic equilibrium should not be considered as planets, since they never were the dominant bodies in their accretion zones."

The members of the IAU is set to vote on August 24 on whether to stick with the original proposal, to modify it, or accept the new one.

You may have heard of the hype about Pluto becoming a "pluton" together with its moon. Then there's the proposed 12-planet set-up for our solar system. Now, some astronomers are considering the moon a planet, along with 53 other planet candidates.

According to the new definition of planet proposed by the International Astronomical Union, any round object orbiting the sun is a planet, unless it already has a planet of its own to orbit around. However, there's this thing called the barycenter, which is the center of all gravity. If the barycenter is "outside the larger object, then the smaller object is a planet." That's the reason why Pluto's moon Charon is being considered a planet by some astronomers.

But back to the barycenter. At the moment, the system's barycenter is the earth. But in a couple of a few billion years, the barycenter will "move outside the Earth as the Moon recedes." That this, if the Earth or Moon still exists.

Whether our moon, Pluto, or various asteroids will be considered as planets will be discussed soon as authorities will vote on the new definition of planet on the 24th at the IAU meeting in Prague.

An asteroid with the power to wipe out a major city will pass real close to the Earth. Far closer to us than the moon. Closer to us than most commercial satellites. Don't worry though, that won't be until 2029, and it will probably not impact the Earth. Much like the asteroid that flew by last July.

The skies around our planet is looking like a very crowded place (hey, we're even getting new planets).

The International Astronomical Union has set up a special task force to watch the skies for near-Earth objects: asteroids and comets whose orbits could potentially lead them smashing into the Earth. The University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, for example, will aim four powerful digital cameras at the skies.

But even if they did find one, there's not much we can do right now. One long-term plan, however, is to use a spacecraft to divert the incoming catastrophe.

Congress has also asked NASA for a plan to catalog the smaller distant objects, including chunks that are "only" 150 yards across. So far, they've found over a hundred such asteroids that may have a chance of colliding with the Earth. That means there's a long way to go; scientists estimate that there are 100,000 such killer asteroids, each with the power to destroy cities or set off massive tsunamis.

And if you're looking for the "end of the world" variety, you don't have to look very far. There are about 1,100 comets and asteroids in the inner solar system that are half a mile wide or bigger. Any one of them could kill millions of people.

The need to define "planet" surges.

Unless you're from another solar system, you probably know Pluto is under siege. An on going debate on new definitions will determine if Pluto will remain a planet or demoted into something else. Believe it or not, while planets have been around forever, an official definition of what they are does not exist.

If a group of Pluto lovers have it their way, the new and highly controversial definition proposed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will enable  Pluto to keep its current status as well as increase the member of our solar system.

Under the proposed definition Pluto will remain a planet. But it will lose its moon Charon, which would become a planet itself. Both would be called "plutons", to distinguish them from the eight "classical" planets. Ceres, currently an asteroid, would be upgraded to a "dwarf planet".  A Pluto-sized object known as 2003 UB313 would also be called a "pluton" making it 12th planet.

This proposed definition may have its own supporters, it also has its share of critics. Ironically, one of them is Caltech researcher Mike Brown, the man who discovered  2003 UB313. "It's flattering to be considered discoverer of the 12th planet," Brown said but added the overall proposal is "a complete mess" because that will turn at least 53 known bodies in our solar system into planets with more waiting in the wings to be discovered.

IAU members will vote on the proposal August 24.

At a recent conference attended by 2,500 astronomers, the president of the International Astronomical Union Ronald D. Ekers has put his foot down on one important issue: the definition of the word "planet".

In the dictionary, "planet" is defined as "A nonluminous celestial body larger than an asteroid or comet, illuminated by light from a star, such as the sun, around which it revolves."

To most of us mere mortals, this would have already been sufficient explanation, however, recent debates as to whether Pluto, long believed to be a planet, is still worthy of its title has also dragged in the innocent word into a whole arena of argumentation. All this has happened after recent studies have revealed that it may just be an asteroid or simply a floating piece of space rock. This has caused a lot of confusion within the scientific community with one school of thought's definition differing from the other's, and thus a universally-accepted definition of the word is being sought out.

Until now, there have been no definitive criteria, with most simply describing a planet as a large, round object that orbits the Sun. Scientists will work on establishing criteria for planet status — including the object's mass, orbit and distance from the Sun — and then whether Pluto will meet the definition.

Until then, we shall stick with the belief that Earth is either a "planet" or just the "third rock from the sun".

The planet Pluto is facing a serious demotion.

Soon, school kids may have to get used to saying that the solar system is consists of eight planets, not nine. At an International Astronomical Union (IAU) conference to be held later this month at Prague, a resolution that defines a planet is scheduled to be heard and considered. Pluto has always been different from the other planets - too small, erratic orbit, not enough of a rocky center etc. And this conference might decide if Pluto is indeed the ninth planet of the Solar System or just one of thousands of small, icy objects in the decidedly less glamorous Kuiper Belt, just beyond Neptune.

The IAU faces a dilemma here, if they decide that Pluto is a planet, then they should also consider Pluto-like masses as planets. If they decide that it isn't one, then a major change in Science will take place, starting with the Science textbooks. Some speculations say that it is unlikely for Pluto to be demoted because "egos" have gotten in the way, specifically US pride. Pluto is the only planet discovered by an American - Clyde W. Tombaugh. Whatever the International Astronomical Union decides on, we will surely keep you posted.