The Great Planet Debate

The Great Planet Debate: Science as Process
A Scientific Conference and Educator Workshop
August 14-16, 2008
The Johns Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory
Laurel, MD
Kossiakoff Center

Background and Objectives

Top scientists and educators will convene in Maryland this summer to explore a basic, but controversial, question: What is a planet?

The Great Planet Debate (GPD) conference includes two days (August 14-15) of scientific sessions to discuss and debate the processes leading to planet formation and the characteristics and criteria used to define and categorize planets. An open-to-the-public debate between Dr. Mark Sykes of the Planetary Science Institute and Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson of the American Museum of Natural History is scheduled on the afternoon of August 14th.

An educator's workshop follows on the third day (August 16th) to provide a forum on how the planet debate can be used to spark scientific inquiry in the classroom.

Read this press release for further background on the GPD Conference >

Highlights

Days 1 and 2:

During the first two days of the conference, we will present what we have learned about planetary bodies over more than 40 years of robotic exploration of the Solar System and what we are learning about planets around other stars. The IAU’s dynamical definition of a planet will be presented, as well as an alternative geophysical definition. The utility of each will be debated, along with other potential planet definitions.

A public lecture and panel discussion, featuring scientists who are prominent in the debate on planet definitions, are planned for Thursday afternoon, followed by a banquet. A reception on Friday afternoon concludes the scientific portion of the conference.

Day 3:

The third day of the meeting will be an Educator Workshop to discuss how the question of "The Great Planet Debate" should be treated in schools and how that can be used as a springboard to discuss science as a process, as well as other topics in planetary science.

Call for Papers

Scientists and Educators attending this conference are invited to submit contributed abstracts for oral and poster presentations.

All contributed abstracts must be submitted by email to the SOC Chair (Mark Sykes) at sykes@psi.edu by 8:00 pm (EDT) on Friday, June 27, 2008. Abstracts should be limited to one page, including graphics, tables, and references.

Please indicate in your email which type of presentation you prefer (poster vs oral). Please note that most contributed papers will probably be in the form of posters.

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