A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals. The planets were originally seen as a divine presence; as emissaries of the gods. As scientific knowledge advanced, the human perception of the planets changed over time, incorporating a number of disparate objects. On 24 August 2006, the IAU officially adopted a resolution defining planets within the Solar System. Copernicus suggested that the planets orbited the Sun, and this view was supported by Galileo after the development of the telescope. By careful analysis of the observation data, Johannes Kepler found their orbits to be not circular, but elliptical. Since 1992, through the discovery of hundreds of extrasolar planets, scientists are beginning to observe similar features throughout the Milky Way Galaxy. Planets are generally divided into two main types: large, low-density gas giants and smaller, rocky terrestrials. As of July 2008 there are 307 known extrasolar planets, ranging from the size of gas giants to that of terrestrial planets. This brings the total number of identified planets to 315. The Solar System also contains at least four dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Makemake and Eris. No extrasolar dwarf planets have been detected. (more...)

From Wikipedia's newest articles:

• ... that Clara Fisher (pictured) began her 72 year acting career at the age of six?
• ... that Guy de Bourgogne was violently disrobed by members of his militia upon his election as Pope Callixtus II by the papal election of 1119?
• ... that the soundtracks to FlatOut and FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage include five songs by English rock music group No Connection?
• ... that Celebrity Bainisteoir is an Irish reality programme about managing Gaelic football clubs?
• ... that one of the works of Maya Angelou, Georgia, Georgia (1972), was the first film to be written and produced by an African American woman?
• ... that to combat illegal entry by foreign nationals, India and China are currently building security barriers at their borders with Bangladesh and North Korea respectively?
• ... that shrines dedicated to the Hindu sun god Surya usually face east, but the one at the Kasivisvesvara Temple in Lakkundi, Karnataka faces west?
  
  Archive – Start a new article...

• The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing come to an end after 16 days of competition.
• Barack Obama chooses Joe Biden (pictured), a Democratic Senator from Delaware, as his vice-presidential running mate in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
• At least 60 people die following twin suicide bombings outside the Pakistan Ordnance Factories in Wah, Pakistan.
• Spanair Flight 5022 crashes immediately after takeoff from Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain, killing at least 150 people on board.
• Usain Bolt of Jamaica wins gold medals in the 100 metre and 200 metre sprints at the 2008 Summer Olympics, setting new world records of 9.69 and 19.30 seconds, respectively.
• President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia dies after suffering a stroke in late June.
  Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...

August 24: Independence Day in Ukraine (1991)

• 79 – The volcano Mount Vesuvius (artist's depiction) erupted, burying the towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae in Italy.
• 1572 – The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, a wave of Catholic mob violence against the Huguenots, began, lasting for several months and resulting in an estimated tens of thousands deaths across France.
• 1821 – The Treaty of Córdoba was signed in Córdoba, Veracruz, ratifying the Plan of Iguala and concluding Mexico's War of Independence from Spain.
• 1853 – In Saratoga Springs, New York, American chef George Crum prepared the first potato chips / crisps after he got fed up with a customer who kept on complaining that his fried potatoes were too thick and soggy.
• 1942 – World War II: The United States aircraft carrier Saratoga sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Ryūjō at the Battle of the Eastern Solomons near Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands, helping to lead to an Allied powers victory.

• More events: August 23 – August 24 – August 25

  Archive – By email – More anniversaries...
  It is now 16:11, August 24, 2008 (UTC) – Refresh this page