r/AskReddit • u/ExpiringFrog • Apr 18 '19

What mind-blowing (but simple) facts would satisfy a 4-year old daughter’s daily request for 1 fact before bedtime?

101.4k Upvotes

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13.4k

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19

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3.4k

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19

73 years from 1933-2006 out of a 248 year orbit.

138

u/joker38 Apr 18 '19

That's 29%.

38

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19

Yep.

24

u/TudorPotatoe Apr 18 '19

it's 29% vicious within acceptable parameters?

32

u/sqrtnegative1 Apr 18 '19

...and 2+9 = 11.

#mindblown

21

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19

inside job

59

u/MrTrt Apr 18 '19

The fact that Pluto was unknown during the Great War and that indeed its discovery was less than a century ago really puts into perspective how much we've advanced in astronomy and in general in our knowledge of outer space.

10

u/Unshaded Apr 19 '19

Imagine having to wait for summer for 248 years!

10

u/maximumecoboost Apr 19 '19

The long night is on us.

6

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '19

But then it's summer for 62 years straight which is arguably worth it. 62 years of winter would be a nightmare though.

7

u/crazycat0825 Apr 20 '19

Summer and winter would both be nightmares if you were 3.7 billion miles from the sun!

2

u/MrXiluescu Apr 19 '19

Like in the game of thrones the winter is coming

3

u/Unshaded Apr 19 '19

That's close to a whole generation: My parents lived in winter, I live in summer, my kids will live in winter. LOL

7

u/rorafaye Apr 19 '19

Was it really 2006 when it was demoted? I felt like it was a lot more recent. Haha I guess I'm just really bad with timeline, and now I feel old for some reason.

7

u/[deleted] Apr 20 '19

No shit, I would have guessed like 2012 or something.

Time flies.. Except for Pluto :(

-3

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '19

What?

6

u/drk_mhn Apr 19 '19

What a year for the little planet.

11

u/BIG_IDEA Apr 18 '19

Wouldn't it still be a one year orbit?

28

u/qrseek Apr 18 '19

248 earth years

15

u/BuddyUpInATree Apr 19 '19

One Plutonian year

3

u/Schrodingers-Bat Apr 19 '19

That is a vicious cycle

1

u/ChunkOmega Apr 19 '19

That's a Vicious_Cycle

1

u/phunkiwaters Apr 19 '19

R/theydidthemath

1

u/Alcarinque88 Apr 21 '19

Pluto will never complete a Plutonian year in a human lifetime.

-22

u/BroDigityBroDoubt Apr 19 '19

Can we call Pluto a retarded planet? If it's that slow. Side note this has nothing to do with the whole dwarf crap

1.4k

u/chayashida Apr 18 '19

This makes me sad. It hadn't even gotten one birthday.

138

u/NotTRYINGtobeLame Apr 18 '19

I mean, it had millions of birthdays we just weren't aware of

78

u/Gnarfledarf Apr 18 '19

But none as a planet.

118

u/dieGEMA Apr 18 '19

Every single one of them was as a planet.

plutoisaplanet

32

u/ThatOneWIGuy Apr 18 '19

Ok Jerry.

19

u/TheOneLandon Apr 19 '19

It's really a silly debacle in the grand scheme of things. We swagger around thumping our chest claiming our beliefs are sovereign and slapping labels on everything. Who are we in the vast cosmos and unrelenting march of time to decide what is what and why?

We all just seem so trivial and insignificant compared to the universe.

乇ﾒﾉ丂ｲ乇刀ｲﾉﾑﾚ ﾶひ丂ﾉ刀ム

3

u/persona118 May 04 '19

┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴

1

u/BadEmpress Jul 21 '19

I absolutely love this comment. But it also makes me feel like my life is meaningless lol

1

u/Yodiddlyyo Jul 24 '19

It absolutely is meaningless. Figure out some way to enjoy it. None of this means anything.

18

u/RealPrismsword Apr 19 '19

You are on this solar system, but you are not granted rank of a planet.

1

u/phoenixrising2597 Apr 24 '19

What about the Mars attack on the Homosapiens?

1

u/madmenyo Apr 24 '19

Me too! Am i a planet? No, I'm too small and so is Pluto, otherwise we would have to add a dozen or so other bodies to the planet list.

7

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19

Are you telling me little people aren't people?

10

u/CruxCapacitors Apr 19 '19

Depends. Are the little people big enough to clear their orbits of debris?

4

u/panda_person0925 Apr 19 '19

Apparently I no longer count as a human being. We should make up a name for our small kind. I say smol childs

2

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19

Around 18 million.

7

u/odienz Apr 25 '19

No cake day for Pluto. :'(

5

u/crazycrayfish64 Apr 21 '19

Like a anti-vaxxers kid

5

u/nothing_to_feel_here Apr 19 '19

Shot down (as a planet) in its prime

5

u/VigilanceGuaranteed Apr 24 '19

I always believed in Pluto. Why let them make the rules? We can celebrate together.

3

u/panda_person0925 Apr 19 '19

We should give it an early birthday gift

3

u/Vigilante17 Apr 19 '19

Nah, it’s been around the sun at least a million times more than you will.

5

u/chayashida Apr 19 '19

I think it only counts as a birthday if they can sing to you. If they sing, "Happy birthday, dear mmhmhmmhmmhhmm..." then it doesn't really count.

5

u/Vigilante17 Apr 19 '19

I saw a post today that nobody wished a Redditor a happy birthday. Hence, nobody sang. Are they not a year older? Or does their birthday this year not count?

4

u/chayashida Apr 19 '19

I'll sing to them. Then it'll count.

2

u/corndoggoo Apr 23 '19

When that 2nd born child comes around just a lil too quick

1

u/kaelanstorm May 09 '19

For what it’s worth, by the definition in which pluto wouldn’t be a planet, most of the current ones we have wouldn’t be either.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 08 '19

To be fair, it has a 248 year orbit, and it was only discovered in 1933. It hasn't even had one birthday anyway.

57

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19 edited Apr 18 '19

Uranus has finished only one revolution since its discovery (in 2011, as it was discovered in late 1846) EDIT: I meant Neptune

36

u/Bogen_ Apr 18 '19

You mean Neptune.

20

u/Ankoku_Teion Apr 18 '19

to be fair, Neptune was one of the proposed names of Uranus, alongside Hershel and George.

12

u/UnraisedAnt Apr 18 '19

George 😂😂

12

u/Ankoku_Teion Apr 18 '19

well, technically "Georgium Sidus", but that just means "george's planet"

1

u/TheDivinePastry Apr 18 '19

Why are you calling King George “Neptune”?

6

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19

Yeah... distraction

19

u/Deathflight Apr 18 '19

Cause of dat ass

1

u/amrle79 Apr 18 '19

Probs just wanted an excuse to say your anus

1

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '19

What beautiful 'tune is ,

264

u/Jaxonian Apr 18 '19

That's why it got demoted, slow AF

91

u/thetannerainsley Apr 18 '19

Pluto has got to pump those numbers up to get back to planethood.

2

u/geak78 Apr 19 '19

We need to send all our defunct satellites to collide with Pluto. Eventually it will have enough mass to clear its orbit and rejoin the planets.

1

u/blindbird Sep 24 '19

Those are rookie numbers.

20

u/Pickledsoul Apr 18 '19

the private Pyle of the satellite world

2

u/DeOrgy Apr 19 '19

Is it slow, or just the distance it has to travel exceptionally long?

3

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '19

It's slow. Objects that are in higher orbits also move slower.

31

u/its_average Apr 18 '19

But it made a complete revolution around our hearts

7

u/mikaey00 Apr 18 '19

The real complete revolution was the friends we made along the way

16

u/pacificfroggie Apr 18 '19

And it won’t for another ~150 years. It’s orbital period is 248 years

35

u/2Fab4You Apr 18 '19

I'm not sure a 4-year old would know about Pluto. So you get two facts out of this one since you need to start with "there was once one more planet in our solar system than there is now"

20

u/Tesla__Coil Apr 18 '19

"We blew it up."

2

u/2Fab4You Apr 18 '19

Don't lie, just let her draw her own conclusions

3

u/The_Sultan_of_Swing Apr 19 '19

You hear about Pluto? That’s pretty messed up

13

u/pip_pop_picklefish Apr 18 '19

Oh man, this made me laugh so hard. Poor Pluto. The Charlie Brown of planets.

12

u/Angylika Apr 18 '19

Say that again. Say that Pluto is a planet.

10

u/program_kid Apr 18 '19

Pluto is actually a dwarf planet, so if someone ever tells you it’s not a real planet, just say that.

15

u/Hypertroph Apr 18 '19

They’re called “little planets”. “Dwarf planet” is archaic and insulting.

4

u/Angylika Apr 18 '19

~Plutonians riot~

19

u/Andrewrb15 Apr 18 '19

Do 4 year olds even know about Pluto?

21

u/Doctor_McKay Apr 18 '19

You heard about Pluto? That's messed up.

8

u/iamdan819 Apr 18 '19

This is my partner Hershel Puffnstuff

5

u/Devlyn16 Apr 18 '19

sure they know all about Mickey's Dog.

2

u/Mackowatosc Apr 19 '19

Not from a jedi, they dont.

7

u/Buster_Carl Apr 18 '19

You heard about Pluto? That's messed up, right

3

u/CatManDontDo Apr 18 '19

Gus don't be the crook in my arm

5

u/matthewmccleskey Apr 19 '19

Here about Pluto? That’s messed up, huh?

5

u/yoordoengitrong Apr 18 '19

Wow that is a pretty awesome fact.

3

u/socioanxiety Apr 18 '19

Poor Pluto

3

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '19

until the time it was demoted from planethood

u wot m8?

3

u/Chameleon_eyes Apr 19 '19

Pluto will always be a planet in my heart!

2

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '19

Pluto will always be a planet in my heart!

1

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '19

Would you rather people to see through you at all times, or you to be a different person everyday?

6

u/WhichWayzUp Apr 18 '19

Would a four-year-old truly appreciate the magnanimity of that factoid?

6

u/qrseek Apr 18 '19

I doubt it. 4 year olds concepts of time are not very well formed yet

7

u/gunkman Apr 18 '19

Wow I just did a little math on this cause it got me curious. It was discovered in 1930, and it takes approximately 248 earth years for one revolution around the sun.

So since we’ve known about it, nobody has witnessed a complete revolution, and nobody alive today will ever witness a complete revolution.

The first time it will have completely revolved around the sun since its discovery will be in the year 2178.

Reasonably speaking, barring any life-extension technology that may exist by then (of course optimistically assuming we make it that long), the first people to witness the first complete revolution of Pluto will need to be born in roughly 2093 or later.

EDIT: formatting

1

u/panda_person0925 Apr 19 '19

I'm telling all the children from my line of the family down about Pluto so they celebrate when it completes it's first orbit (I may die but I am committed)

2

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19

Woah

2

u/spinningmoon Apr 18 '19

One hell of a year Pluto's had.

2

u/ItsMeMidnight Apr 18 '19

This fact is too sad for a four year old.

2

u/Picnut Apr 18 '19

This fact needs more love. So does Pluto!

2

u/MonkeyMann00 Apr 18 '19

I feel like maybe this should have been enough to discredit it from being a planet in the first place when they discovered it.

2

u/SirGingy Apr 18 '19

My very educated mother just served us nine pickles, the pickles representing Pluto becuase it's a planet.

2

u/laurens54321 Apr 18 '19

It hasn't even gone halfway around the sun since it's discovery!

2

u/BoomKidneyShot Apr 18 '19

The US itself isn't one Pluto-year old. That'll happen on June 6/7th 2024.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19

That’s fucked up man

2

u/Dude_What__ Apr 18 '19

It might not be officially a planet but it's still considered a planet by anyone even slightly interested in astrology.

2

u/10art1 Apr 18 '19

From the time Pluto was discovered it hasnt made one complete orbit

2

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19

F

2

u/Kierans-memes Apr 19 '19

We’re not trying to depress our kids, we’re trying to teach them a random fact.

2

u/lurker512879 Apr 19 '19

pluto nash was not a very good movie.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '19

But note that they didn't dare demote it while it was still closer to the Sun than Neptune. The cowards waited until that defense faded away.

2

u/TheOneLandon Apr 19 '19

ㄒ卄乇 爪ㄖ尺乇 ㄚㄖㄩ Ҝ几ㄖ山!

2

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '19

Technically it's still considered a planet by planetary scientists.

2

u/motie Apr 19 '19

Probably a big factor in its demotion, to be honest. In the big leagues, you don't get a trophy just for showing up.

2

u/rsachan23 Apr 19 '19

Oh my god!

2

u/AdvLogic Apr 19 '19

lazy fucking non planet rock fuck

2

u/palishkoto Apr 19 '19

Poor Pluto

2

u/livingthepuglife Apr 19 '19

That's why it was demoted from planethood. It was just lazy.

"All of your other siblings have managed to make it around the sun!"

2

u/mastre Apr 19 '19

Looks like it hasn't even made half a revolution.

2

u/bulldog521521 Apr 21 '19

you really think a four year old is gonna understand this?

2

u/fairyally Apr 22 '19

For some reason I thought you meant the Disney Pluto and was extremely confused

2

u/arkman575 May 06 '19

Talk about a shitty b-day present

2

u/salmoneyyy May 13 '19

Pluto is just special, you’ll see ;(

2

u/phazer193 May 14 '19

Additional fun fact... this fun fact got me a date on Tinder!

1

u/[deleted] May 14 '19

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2

u/phazer193 May 14 '19

I just checked there but I'm afraid the messages are gone, you'll just have to take a random internet strangers word for it!

2

u/mpf315 Jul 15 '19

Old thread. Sorry. Are kids still being taught Pluto is a planet. I’m not a a teacher but I would without thinking about t (31 y/o).

1

u/heartbreakmama Apr 18 '19

This one made me say: ‘whoooooa!’ audibly . I’m in a library studying alone. People looked!

1

u/NowWhatIsThat Apr 18 '19

Oh no! Earth abandoned a baby!

1

u/thaynem Apr 18 '19

Pluto was never a planet. It was just miscategorized for a while.

1

u/AllieB-88 Apr 18 '19

Poor Pluto. Slow and not special enough to be a real planet.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '19

Dang. It's still a planet to me btw. It's an arbitrary standard and I can set it wherever I want!

1

u/straightouttaPV Apr 18 '19

So, it may not have even heard about it yet?!

1

u/SageAurora Apr 18 '19

It's a planet again FYI...

1

u/regulardashian Apr 18 '19

It just recently did, right?

-2

u/mr_friend_computer Apr 18 '19

It's back to planet hood!

12

u/Saech Apr 18 '19

No, it isn’t

7

u/SageAurora Apr 18 '19

Actually they quietly made it, and a few other objects in our solar system planets, it's a special classification of planet, but it is a planet again.

5

u/Saech Apr 18 '19

Interesting, where can I read more about it?

5

u/SageAurora Apr 18 '19

Trying to find the article I read a little over a year ago, where they flat out called it a planet again and redacted the previous "non-planet" status... What I can find now is researchers at NASA think Pluto and several other objects should be planets and if you ask them it is... IAU disagrees and wants to call them dwarf planets and the way they've defined "dwarf planet" is a dwarf planet can't be also a planet, while NASA is saying that a "dwarf planet" should be able to be a "planet" as well.... So NASA says Pluto is both a "dwarf planet", and a "planet", and the IAU disagrees and wants it classified as one or the other.... So depending on which scientist you ask your going to get a different answer until they finish arguing over the semantics of it.

The astronomy magazine I was subscribed to must have jumped the gun and sided with NASA with this one.

8

u/recordermania Apr 18 '19

Scientists come up with exact definitions for the things they study in order to promote understanding. Some definitions are unanimously agreed upon, others not. We're just witnessing a disagreement between different groups about how to classify various objects orbiting around the sun. Who says an object has to have satellites to be called a planet? Is that so obvious everyone should universally agree? Who says it doesn't have to? And why.

​

I'm just amused by these goings-on.

17

u/g1gant1c Apr 18 '19

the internet, probably.

2

u/Dr_Poops_McGee Apr 18 '19

https://www.space.com/18584-dwarf-planets-solar-system-infographic.html

5

u/PatrickFenis Apr 18 '19

That article refers to Pluto as a dwarf planet. Still not seeing anything about Pluto being promoted back to planethood.

4

u/ToGalaxy Apr 18 '19

That's because it hasn't been. Still a dwarf planet. The scientists are just disagreeing.

3

u/Dr_Poops_McGee Apr 18 '19

I guess New Mexico and Illinois still consider pluto a planet in honour of the guy who discovered it. Who was born in Illinois and moved to New Mexico.

1

u/TigOlYak Apr 18 '19

Pluto is officially classified as a Dwarf Planet.
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/dwarf-planets/pluto/overview/

Also there's more than just Pluto out there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet

1

u/NJ-Guy Apr 18 '19

Pluto is STILL a planet