DescentBB

Just off a vague idea of the method for determining the position of a centre of mass/gravity, that point would move in line with the ratio of the Moon's mass compared with that of the Earth. If the Earth is, I dunno, 20 times more massive, then by the same measurement it should take around one and a half billion years for the centre of gravity to clear Earth's surface.

That's easily enough within time. Once you hit a ratio of about 100 in Earth's favour it would take longer than the expected lifetime of the sun... but considering the ratio of the two bodies' diameters isn't that large, and using a (admittedly crude and not entirely precise) cubic relationship between that and volume/mass... it may well be easily under 100. Then again, it might not.

(Clearly I can't be bothered doing my homework properly.)

I think people that are tripping on this issue of the barycenter are completely missing the point.

Regardless of whether or not the Earth/Moon barycenter moves outside of the Earth's sphere, or the Moon completely leaves Earths orbit before the Sun goes Red Giant ...

It doesnt matter.

Is it ok if we make a decision on what to call it for the time being ... lets say, only the next few million years?

Then at the end of the trial period (say, 2.5 million years) we will give you a guaranteed spot on the voting committee to see if we can let the definition ride for the next few million years.

I think its a pretty small thing to ask.

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well, learned people don't care, it's the idjits that have to be considered. And the fool media.

Testiculese wrote:well, learned people don't care, it's the idjits that have to be considered. And the fool media.

Haha, I'm totally going start calling stupid people "idjits" from now on.

haha... Yosemite Sam!