planets in the solar system?

[fiveworlds]

How many planets are in the solar system?

[Moontanman]

How many planets are in the solar system?

There are eight known major planets, and a great many other bodies orbit around our Sun.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_planet

[Ophiolite]

Eight.

 

Now, since that is a thoroughly well known fact, and since it is immensely easy to check that fact using a search engine, I am forced to suspect that you have an ulterior motive for asking it. I await your carefully prepared response, wondering if it will truly be as trivial and contrived as I expect.

 

Please surprise me.

 

[fiveworlds]

But dwarf planets included

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_possible_dwarf_planets

Edited August 30, 2014 by fiveworlds

[Moontanman]

But dwarf planets included

I would say there is some disagreement on how many are known and how many there are expected to be...

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet

 

It is estimated that there are hundreds to thousands of dwarf planets in the Solar System. The IAU currently recognizes five: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.[11] Brown criticizes this official recognition: "A reasonable person might think that this means that there are five known objects in the solar system which fit the IAU definition of dwarf planet, but this reasonable person would be nowhere close to correct."[12] It is suspected that another hundred or so known objects in the Solar System are dwarf planets.[13] Estimates are that up to 200 dwarf planets may be found when the entire region known as the Kuiper belt is explored, and that the number may exceed 10,000 when objects scattered outside the Kuiper belt are considered.[14] Individual astronomers recognize several of these,[13] and in August 2011 Mike Brown published a list of 390 candidate objects, ranging from "nearly certain" to "possible" dwarf planets.[12] Brown currently identifies eleven known objects the five accepted by the IAU plus 2007 OR10, Quaoar, Sedna, Orcus, 2002 MS4 and Salacia as "virtually certain", with another dozen highly likely.[13] Stern states that there are more than a dozen known dwarf planets.[14]

Edited August 30, 2014 by Moontanman

[Ophiolite]

But dwarf planets included

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_possible_dwarf_planets

May I ask why you did not specify that in your original post?

[Nicholas Kang]

You don't have to debate over planet-dwarf planet chaos. I learnt a lesson in a previous topic/thread regarding this matter. The lesson is science is objective. Your definition of dwarf planet might be better than mine but worse than the others. Refer the topic Pluto the dwarf planet. Why dwarf why not in this astronomy/cosmology forum section. I tried to insert the link but failed. You can try searching this topic in the search box on the top right corner.

[Ophiolite]

Nicholas your point is well made and well taken. My problem is with fiveworlds posting style. It was crystal clear when he asked his initial question that he was planning a follow up question on dwarf planets. He did not disappoint. I find that approach dishonest, intentionally sneaky and so blatantly obvious as to lack even the merit of elegance, and am bemused as to why he posts that way.It is disrespectful and unimaginative at the same time. An awesomely incompetent combination.

[Nicholas Kang]

I haven`t get any closer to fiveworlds. You may understand him better than me. You seemed to look at the figurative meaning hidden behind this topic but I am too young to suspect his ulterior motive. Got what you mean. Thanks.