abstract

We give an overview of Polish activities in planetary physics, based on contributions presented at the National Mars Science Seminars and the Planetary Science Conference held at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków since 2019. During the five editions of the conference, about 50 presentations were discussed showing how robust and important the role of the Polish scientific community in planetary science is.

abstract

The term planet currently does not have a unanimous agreement upon definition. The most widely accepted criteria proposed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006 are not undisputable. Perhaps the most controversial topic is the idea of determining the planetary status of an object not only by its own physical properties like mass or roundness, but also by its orbital properties, such as the type of its orbital parent and the object gravitational dominance. It is also difficult to draw the exact boundaries of all these properties. Another issue is developing a definition that is universal and useful, and that can be further developed for objects that have not yet been discovered or for which there is only a limited amount of data available, such as some Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) or extrasolar bodies. In the wake of an era of discovery when new Solar System objects and exoplanets are being detected, it may be beneficial or even necessary to reconsider and possibly redefine what exactly a planet is.