the term dwarf is already use to class stars
We also already have giant planets (the gas giants) so this is just more in that line as well.
So now we can add a bunch of other "ice dwarfs" ... like
2003 UB313, which is bigger than Pluto ... and has a moon (nicknamed "gabriella" to go with the nickname "xena" for the
planet dwarf planet -- both unofficial as yet)
... but we also have added at least one 'rock' dwarf (
Ceres, former asteroid), as it has has ~1/3rd the mass of all the asteroid belt combined and may have an atmosphere, and was the first planet to be demoted from full planet status: it returns now as a dwarf planet.
There are other sizable rocks in the belt, but they appear to be irregular in shape (can't pull themselves into a sphere), so the ability to be spherical can be used as a limit to the classification of a planet, with the asteroids essentially being planet fragments or partial planets, but this would discriminate agains rock dwarfs compared to ice dwarfs where there is less resistance to forming a ball shape for the same mass eh?
But when you come down to {{{all planets in the solar system}}} you will have to include the dwarf planets now for a complete discussion (especially if you are going to go all PC on it, what with including giants, and middle-sized, and not implying that "dwarfs" don't cut it). Certainly any kid doing a science project to show the solar system would include every body they could find in the literature eh?
There is also the question whether pluto is a main
dwarf planet or part of a binary duo, seeing as charon and pluto orbit a common center outside either body (not sure what the other 3 moons orbit, pluto or the common center -- ie inside or outside charon).
Using the location of a common center outside a body as a defining characteristic of "binary" would also keep the moon as a moon rather than a binary "rock dwarf".
On the other hand using the existance of an atmosphere as a characteristic of a planet would mean that our moon and several others could be considered rock dwarf planets. But where do you draw the line on what is an atmosphere and what is part of the planet -- especially for the outer bodies (are the ice dwarfs anything more than frozen atmosphere?)
Such a problem.
Enjoy.
Edited by RAZD, : No reason given.
Join the effort to unravel {AIDS/HIV} {Protenes} and {Cancer} with Team EvC! (click)
we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAAmericanOZen[Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.