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If “snowballs” the size of houses are hitting Earth's atmosphere (Research News, [30 May, p. 1333][1]), it would have surprising implications, not only for the origin of the oceans, but for the entire solar system. Planets are good brooms, and the lifetime of small objects in comet-like orbits

The Science Scope item “pluto or bust?” (26 July, p. [495][1]) requires some clarification. The item implies that contradictory statements regarding a NASA mission to Pluto were made by the American Astronomical Society (AAS). In fact, these statements were issued by the Division of Planetary Science (DPS) of the AAS. Divisions of the AAS are able to make statements of their own as long as the statements are clearly identified as coming from the Division, not the Society as a whole. The press releases announcing both statements of the DPS clearly indicate that they were made by the Division. This information was not mentioned in the Science Scope item. The two DPS statements are in fact complementary. The first statement broadly endorses the newly released National Academy Decadal Survey of Planetary Science, which places the Kuiper Belt-Pluto mission as the highest priority medium cost mission for the coming decade. The second, more detailed statement endorses the Kuiper Belt-Pluto mission and urges Congress to act this year to augment the mission budget to achieve a launch in 2006. Launch in 2006 is necessary if gravity assistance is to be used to reach Pluto. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.298.5593.495