Is Hermes a Planet?

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Have you ever heard of the planet Hermes If not, you’re not alone.

In fact, there is no planet by that name in our solar system. So what exactly is Hermes, and why do some people think it’s a planet

Hermes is actually the name of an asteroid. Asteroids are small rocky objects that orbit the sun, mostly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They are often referred to as minor planets or planetoids because they share some characteristics with planets, such as orbiting the sun, but they are much smaller in size.

Hermes was discovered on October 28, 1937 by Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in Germany. It is about 1.7 kilometers (1.1 miles) long and has an irregular shape. It is also known as 69230 Hermes and has been classified as an Apollo asteroid because its orbit crosses Earth’s orbit.

Despite being an asteroid, Hermes gained some notoriety in the early 2000s when it was briefly thought to be a new planet. In 2003, Brian Marsden of the Minor Planet Center announced that Hermes had been reclassified as a planet based on new calculations of its size and distance from Earth.

This announcement sparked controversy among astronomers and planetary scientists who argued that Hermes did not meet the criteria for being considered a planet. The International Astronomical Union (IAU), which is responsible for defining what objects can be considered planets, ultimately decided against classifying Hermes as a planet.

So why did Marsden believe that Hermes was a planet It turns out that his calculations were based on outdated information about its size and distance from Earth. Once updated data became available, it became clear that Hermes was too small to be considered a planet.

In conclusion, while some may have once believed that Hermes was a new planet in our solar system, it is actually an asteroid that orbits the sun. While it may not be a planet, it still holds scientific interest and importance as a celestial object in our solar system.

Sources:

– NASA Solar System Exploration: Asteroids
– BBC: New ‘planet’ discovered
– Space.com: Hermes Not a Planet After All

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