Teaching What a Planet Is: A Roundtable on the Educational Implications of the New Definition of a Planet

A quick review of the August 24, 2006, decision by the International Astronomical Union about how to define a planet in our Solar System is followed by commentary from planetary scientists and educators from various settings. A table of relevant dates and a list of useful resources are appended, and readers are invited to participate in the discussion. ©2006 Copyright assigned to the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.

Contents

• BODY OF ARTICLE
  • Preface
• A. INTRODUCTION
• B. THE SCIENTIFIC ISSUES
• C. THE EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
• APPENDIX 1
• APPENDIX 2