Day 88: Why Pluto Lost Its Planet Status

Dialogue

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1. 1

   B 삼촌, 할아버지 백과사전에는 행성이 아홉 개라고 나와 있는데, 제 과학책에는 여덟 개예요. 누가 틀린 거예요?

   Samchon, harabeoji baekgwasajeoneneun haengseongi ahop gaerago nawa inneunde, je gwahakchaegeneun yeodeol gaeyeyo. Nuga teullin geoyeyo?

   Uncle, Grandpa's encyclopedia says there are nine planets, but my science book says eight. Which one is wrong?

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2. 2

   A 아무도 안 틀렸어. 그 백과사전이 출간됐을 때는 명왕성도 행성이었거든.

   Amudo an teullyeosseo. Geu baekgwasajeoni chulgandwaesseul ttaeneun myeongwangseongdo haengseongieotgeodeun.

   Nobody's wrong. When that encyclopedia came out, Pluto was a planet too.

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3. 3

   B 행성이었다가 아닌 게 될 수도 있어요? 명왕성이 없어진 것도 아니잖아요.

   Haengseongieotdaga anin ge doel sudo isseoyo? Myeongwangseongi eopseojin geotdo anijanayo.

   Can something be a planet and then stop being one? Pluto didn't disappear.

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4. 4

   A 명왕성은 그대로 있지. 바뀐 건 과학자들이 행성을 정하는 기준이야. 2006년에 천문학자들이 모여서 투표로 새 정의를 확정했어.

   Myeongwangseongeun geudaero itji. Bakkwin geon gwahakjadeuri haengseongeul jeonghaneun gijuniya. 2006nyeone cheonmunhakjadeuri moyeoseo tupyoro sae jeonguireul hwakjeonghaesseo.

   Pluto's still there. What changed is how scientists decide what counts as a planet. In 2006, astronomers got together and voted to settle on a new definition.

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5. 5

   B 투표요? 과학도 투표로 정해요?

   Tupyoyo? Gwahakdo tupyoro jeonghaeyo?

   A vote? Do you decide science by voting?

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6. 6

   A 이름 붙이는 규칙은 사람들이 약속하는 거니까. 태양 주위를 돌고, 충분히 둥글고, 자기 궤도 주변을 깨끗하게 정리한 천체만 행성이라고 부르기로 했어.

   Ireum buchineun gyuchigeun saramdeuri yaksokaneun geonikka. Taeyang juwireul dolgo, chungbunhi dunggeulgo, jagi gwedo jubyeoneul kkaekkeutage jeongnihan cheoncheman haengseongirago bureugiro haesseo.

   The rules for naming things are something people agree on. They decided to call something a planet only if it goes around the Sun, is round enough, and has cleared the area around its orbit.

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7. 7

   B 명왕성은 뭐가 부족했어요?

   Myeongwangseongeun mwoga bujokaesseoyo?

   What was Pluto missing?

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8. 8

   A 마지막 조건. 명왕성 근처에는 비슷한 얼음덩어리가 잔뜩 있어서 궤도를 혼자 차지하지 못했거든. 그래서 지금은 왜소행성으로 분류해.

   Majimak jogeon. Myeongwangseong geuncheoeneun biseutan eoreumdeongeoriga jantteuk isseoseo gwedoreul honja chajihaji motaetgeodeun. Geuraeseo jigeumeun waesohaengseongeuro bullyuhae.

   The last one. There are lots of similar chunks of ice near Pluto, so it doesn't have its orbit to itself. So now it's classed as a dwarf planet.

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9. 9

   B 그럼 다들 좋다고 했어요?

   Geureom dadeul jotago haesseoyo?

   So was everyone okay with that?

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10. 10

    A 아니, 난리가 났지. 일반 사람들은 말할 것도 없고 과학자들 중에도 반대한 사람이 많았어. 투표에 참여한 사람도 전체 천문학자의 일부에 불과했고.

    Ani, nalliga natji. Ilban saramdeureun malhal geotdo eopgo gwahakjadeul jungedo bandaehan sarami manasseo. Tupyoe chamyeohan saramdo jeonche cheonmunhakjaui ilbue bulgwahaetgo.

    No, there was an uproar. Not just ordinary people, lots of scientists were against it too. And only a fraction of the world's astronomers took part in the vote.

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11. 11

    B 그럼 다시 투표하면 되잖아요. 명왕성 입장에서는 진짜 황당하겠어요.

    Geureom dasi tupyohamyeon doejanayo. Myeongwangseong ipjangeseoneun jinjja hwangdanghagesseoyo.

    Then they can just vote again. Poor Pluto must be baffled.

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12. 12

    A 하하, 명왕성을 너무 좋아한 나머지 행성 지위를 돌려 달라고 시위를 한 사람들도 있었어.

    Haha, myeongwangseongeul neomu joahan nameoji haengseong jiwireul dollyeo dallago siwireul han saramdeuldo isseosseo.

    Ha, some people loved Pluto so much they even held protests to get it back its planet status.

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13. 13

    B 저도 그 사람들 편이에요. 명왕성을 발견한 사람도 미국 사람이었죠?

    Jeodo geu saramdeul pyeonieyo. Myeongwangseongeul balgyeonhan saramdo Miguk saramieotjyo?

    I'm on their side. The person who discovered Pluto was American, wasn't he?

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14. 14

    A 맞아. 그래서 미국에서 반발이 특히 컸지. 근데 기준을 명왕성에 맞추면 비슷한 천체들이 수십 개나 행성이 돼. 그럼 네가 외울 행성이 쉰 개쯤 될걸?

    Maja. Geuraeseo Migugeseo banbari teuki keotji. Geunde gijuneul myeongwangseonge matchumyeon biseutan cheonchedeuri susip gaena haengseongi dwae. Geureom nega oeul haengseongi swin gaejjeum doelgeol?

    That's right. That's why the backlash was especially strong in America. But if we set the standard to fit Pluto, dozens of similar objects would become planets too. Then you'd have about fifty planets to memorise.

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15. 15

    B 으악, 그건 싫어요. 그래도 기준이 또 바뀔 수도 있잖아요.

    Euak, geugeon sireoyo. Geuraedo gijuni tto bakkwil sudo itjanayo.

    Ugh, no thanks. But the standard could change again, couldn't it?

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16. 16

    A 물론이지. 과학은 새로운 증거가 나오면 얼마든지 바뀌는 거야. 그러니까 숙제에 네 생각도 쓰고, 그걸 뒷받침할 근거도 찾아봐.

    Mulloniji. Gwahageun saeroun jeunggeoga naomyeon eolmadeunji bakkwineun geoya. Geureonikka sukjee ne saenggakdo sseugo, geugeol dwitbatchimhal geungeodo chajabwa.

    Of course. Science can always change when new evidence turns up. So put your own opinion in your homework, and find some evidence to back it up.

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17. 17

    B 그럼 이렇게 쓸래요. '명왕성은 지금은 왜소행성이지만, 다시 투표해 볼 가치가 있다.'

    Geureom ireoke sseullaeyo. 'Myeongwangseongeun jigeumeun waesohaengseongijiman, dasi tupyohae bol gachiga itda.'

    Then I'll write this: 'Pluto is a dwarf planet for now, but it deserves another vote.'

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18. 18

    A 좋은데? 제법 과학자다운 태도야. 할아버지 백과사전도 버리지 말고 잘 간직해.

    Joeunde? Jebeop gwahakjadaun taedoya. Harabeoji baekgwasajeondo beoriji malgo jal ganjikae.

    Nice! Spoken like a real scientist. And don't throw out Grandpa's encyclopedia. Keep it safe.

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