DAY 163: PLUTO HELD HOSTAGE

Eek! The Heat Nazis have invaded the planet Pluto!

Pluto is undergoing global warming, researchers find


Don't forget, kiddies! February 4, 2007 is International Save Pluto Day:

The Society for the Preservation of Pluto as a Planet hereby declares that Sunday, February 4, 2007, the 101st birthday of Pluto discoverer Clyde Tombaugh, will be International Save Pluto Day! To that end, we are endorsing three sets of activities.

1. All supporters of Pluto are encouraged to contact the International Astronomical Union by letter or postcard mailed during the week before Save Pluto Day. We are declaring January 29, the anniversary of Pluto's second photograph, as Discovery Day. On Discovery Day, put your letter supporting Pluto in the mail!

The idea is to show the IAU how much support Pluto has by encouraging a mass mailing from all over the world in a short period of time. Our hope is that this concentrated show of support will make it clear how much the citizens of this planet care about our fellow wanderer in the solar system.

So, on January 29, 2007, get a postcard, write on it, "Pluto is a Planet!" or "Save Pluto!" and mail it to the IAU. If you're feeling more ambitious, send a letter explaining just why you support Pluto. As they receive all that mail over the course of the week leading up to Save Pluto Day, we will know that our individual voices will be heard in unity.

The address of the International Astronomical Union is

IAU-UAI
98bis Bd Arago
FR - 75014
Paris
FRANCE

2. The Society is promoting events all over the United States and, we hope, the rest of the world. For example, on February 4, the Clay Center Observatory (Brookline, Massachusetts, USA), has agreed to host an educational program and friendly debate about Pluto for the general public. Expert planetary scientists from area research institutions will present both sides of the issue. We encourage other such institutions all over the world to sponsor their own lectures or observation sessions as part of Save Pluto Day. We will keep a geographical list of those that we know of on our International Save Pluto Day Events Page.

3. What if you can't get to a lecture but you still want to show your support for Pluto? Throw a Pluto party! We encourage all supporters to turn International Save Pluto Day into a festive event, by opening their homes to like-minded folks that evening. If you're an amateur astronomer who owns a telescope, even better! Set it up and introduce your friends and neighbors to the wonders of the night sky.

We are actively soliciting suggestions for appropriate music and decorations for Pluto Parties, as well as DVD movies and television shows that people might want to watch. Check back often on our Pluto Party Kit Page for ideas.