New Horizons Mission

Support Alan Stern

Support Alan Stern the leader of the U.S. space agency's New Horizons successful mission to photograph and analyze Pluto.

One of thousands, who did not vote at the IAU session, Stern characterized the new definition to BBC News as awful, sloppy science, not capable of passing peer review and embarrassing.

Stern is leading a fight back campaign against the highly controversial action by a limited group of rogue scientists in the final moments of the IAU international assembly last August to demote Pluto.

A web petition circulated to astrophysicists and high level scientists days after the vote immediately resulted in 300 signatures and was deemed enough, (more than voted on the original issue), to begin the fight back effort to set aside the vote. The protest, placed on the Web states. "We as planetary scientists and astronomers do not agree with the IAU's definition of a planet, nor will we use it. A better definition is needed".

Mark Sykes, director of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona organized the petition and said the IAU definition of a planet "does not meet fundamental scientific standards and should be set aside.

"A more open process, involving a broader cross-section of the community Engaged in planetary studies of our own Solar System and others should be undertaken," Sykes said.

Click here to visit the New Horizons Mission page by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory or
here to visit the official NASA New Horizons page.

The New Horizons Mission Media