Let's Make It a Dozen

I knew I should have posted this earlier. Prof. Althouse beat me to the punch.

The committee deciding the fate of Pluto decided that not only is Pluto a planet, but the large body it shares an orbit with, Charon is as well.

Just to make it an even dozen, they've (they being the IAU committee chosen to sit in judgement of what makes a planet) re-promoted Ceres, the largest asteroid between Mars and Jupiter back to being a planet (creating the designation 'dwarf planet'), and they've indicated their willingness to promote 2003 UB313 'aka' XENA, to the status of Warrior Princess Planet.

So the breakdown now has a certain Goldilockian symmetry (almost, excluding King Asteroid Ceres and its 'dwarf planet' designation). Our Solar System has four (too big) planets of the Jovian variety, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Three (too small) planets of the Pluton type, Pluto, Charon, and Xena with their eccentric and lengthy orbits, and finally the four (just right) Terrestrial planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

I still think eight is enough, but that's just me (and Prof. Althouse, too it would seem).

Another question remains, are they really going to stick with calling 2003 UB313 Xena?

(and yes, Xena has a moon, which naturally will be called Gabrielle)

UPDATE

A (Red State) Poll, as of this post, the choice, "First thing we do is kill all the astronomers, and then leave it alone" is leading. (my choice of ditch Pluto is the least popular choice at the moment)