How many planets are there?

Ok here is the question I ask you fellow ATSers, how many planets are there in our solar system? The Milky Way.

POST WHAT YOU THINK, DO NOT DO ANY RESEARCH BEFORE HAND.

Now I want to hear what people think, I am doing a report on peoples preconceived notions on what they know and were taught in school.

I will compile all the survey data, in about a week, 7 days time. And then publish the report.

At that time, I will post what my findings are.

Now after you post your first thought, research, and then talk about how you cam to the conclusion.

Originally posted by Harvestfreak
Ok here is the question I ask you fellow ATSers, how many planets are there in our solar system? The Milky Way.

POST WHAT YOU THINK, DO NOT DO ANY RESEARCH BEFORE HAND.

1) Our solar system is not the milky way. (The galaxy is a collection of solar systems, which our galaxy is the milky way.)

solar system
noun Astronomy
the collection of nine planets and their moons in orbit around the sun, together with smaller bodies in the form of asteroids, meteoroids, and comets.

2) Unfortunately my guess is based on what research I already have.
And according to the latest BBC article it appears that there are 1000s of planets in our solar sytem...not just the 9 we learn in school that are closest to the sun.



Peace

dAlen

[edit on 28-2-2008 by dAlen]

Originally posted by Harvestfreak
Ok here is the question I ask you fellow ATSers, how many planets are there in our solar system? The Milky Way.

There are 8 bodies officially called "Planets" in our solar system.

There are also a class of bodies called "Dwarf Planets". If I remember correctly only 3 bodies that are officially called Dwarf Planets -- Pluto, Ceres, and Eris -- but I think there are more already-discovered objects that officially will be put in that classification in the next few years. Sedna is one of those -- it's almost as big as Pluto. I think there may be 100's that can fall into the category of "dwarf Planet". However, there are only 8 actual "Planets".

As to your question about how many KNOWN planets there are in the Milky Way Galaxy -- (is that what you're asking?? Or are you confusing the Solar system with the name of the Galaxy, as dAlen says in the post above? ) -- , I couldn't tell you without doing research, but I remember that number being somewhere around 250. However, these are just the KNOWN ones -- there are probably actually millions or even billions of planets in the Galaxy.

EDIT: Format and grammar

[edit on 2/28/2008 by Soylent Green Is People]

I was taught there are nine planets including Pluto. But as already mentioned Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet, which I happen to agree with, so there are eight planets in our solar system and several more dwarf planets.

You guys know what I meant by our collective solar system. The thing the Earth is in.
We are off to a good start. So far so good.

In our solar system?

There are 8 planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune). There are also 3 dwarf planets (Ceres, Pluto, Eris).

In the Milky Way?

Last I heard there are about 150 known planets in our galaxy. Likely, there are many, many more that have yet to found. I'd guess around half a billion or so.

Originally posted by Harvestfreak
You guys know what I meant by our collective solar system. The thing the Earth is in.
We are off to a good start. So far so good.

Strictly speaking, the "thing the is in" could be classified as anything from the Universe on down. But we got your drift anyway.

Now the 8 planets is correct, using the newly accepted definition of planets. Since you also didn't specify a time for this, I'll assume you meant at this present moment. You see, if the time frame is altered, then the number would be altered, as in the formation of this system, it is likely that at one point there was only one actual planet (it wouldn't be a system without at least one). And in the far distant future, as Sol goes about it's death process, the number will again decrease by at least one or two, and may actually cease to be a system in any sense of the word altogether.

Just saying, when it comes to defining such things, especially in Cosmology, one has to be sure of the parameters, of which time is certainly one.

Earth is the only planet that matters. All the rest are just colorful spheres I'll never see in person. Earth is number one in my book.

Originally posted by Nohup
Earth is the only planet that matters. All the rest are just colorful spheres I'll never see in person. Earth is number one in my book.

You can easily see four of the other ones in person just by looking up!

Just kidding. I know what you meant, but I always get a shiver when I look up at Jupiter or Saturn (or a star for that matter) and it occurs to me that there is no actual physical boundary between me and that planet or star -- just distance.

Originally posted by Soylent Green Is People

Originally posted by Nohup
Earth is the only planet that matters. All the rest are just colorful spheres I'll never see in person. Earth is number one in my book.

You can easily see four of the other ones in person just by looking up!

Just kidding. I know what you meant, but I always get a shiver when I look up at Jupiter or Saturn (or a star for that matter) and it occurs to me that there is no actual physical boundary between me and that planet or star -- just distance.

Eh, Jupiter and Saturn are just punk planets. Showing off with all their moons and colors. Earth, on the other hand, has a nice big moon up there and that's like all we need, because we're so cool. The other planets can go blow.

Originally posted by NGC2736
Just saying, when it comes to defining such things, especially in Cosmology, one has to be sure of the parameters, of which time is certainly one.

Originally posted by Harvestfreak
Peoples preconceived notions on what they know and were taught in school.

I was specific, in my topic. But you could've misread it, it can happen.

Originally posted by Harvestfreak
Peoples preconceived notions on what they know and were taught in school.

Well, I was taught in school that there were 9 planets...and that's because when I went to schoool there were 9 planets.

[edit on 2/28/2008 by Soylent Green Is People]

well u was also taught that there was 9 planets now only 8...

i was also around when they mentioned planet X

How times change

However more and more are being discovered!

I like to think of the moon as earths dead twin... wouldn't it have been great if life like us was on the moon! it seems the cosmos had a plan for us

Anyway ceres eris sedna pluto are large enough in my book to be classed as planets.....

i wish i want born in the 89's and had been born further in the future maybe like 4080 i think i would have enjoyed it more.....