NYT: More humiliation for Pluto

More humiliation for Pluto via ajc.com: "The dwarf planet formerly known as Xena received a new name on Thursday, while Pluto was given a number to reflect the loss of its status as a planet.

Michael E. Brown, a professor of planetary astronomy at the California Institute of Technology who discovered the distant ball of ice and rock that he nicknamed Xena, chose the name Eris, after the goddess of discord and strife in Greek mythology. The International Astronomical Union made the name official Thursday.

'It is absolutely the perfect name,' Brown said, given the continuing discord among astronomers and the public over whether Pluto should have retained its planetary status.

In mythology, Eris ignited discord that led to the Trojan War.

'She causes strife by causing arguments among men, by making them think their opinions are right and everyone else's is wrong,' Brown said. 'It really is just perfect.'

Pluto, now that it is no longer a planet, has been assigned the number 1340340 in the catalog of minor planets."

We are really pissing off the Plutonians. Beware.