Astronomers continue to wrangle over a proposal to define the term “planet,” one they can at least agree to vote on Thursday at a meeting of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Prague.

But the latest rendition, a third try that seems to be a melding of the first two and which would demote Pluto to dwarf status, was presented earlier today and “shot down in flames again,” a source tells me. “The IAU is now working on a [another] version that may be much more acceptable to the majority of astronomers,” the source said.

Just to illustrate how crazed the effort has become, the latest (and apparently defeated) proposal suggests various possible terms for defining a new class of dwarf planets, which would not be real planets and would include Pluto. The suggestions: plutons (suggested in the initial controversial proposal), plutoids, plutonids, plutonoids, plutinos (already used to describe known comet-like objects in the outer solar system), Tombaugh Objects (after Clyde, who discovered Pluto), Tombaugh Planets, plutians.

Science at work, folks!

Anybody’s guess at this point, but don’t be too surprised if the version that goes to a vote is more cultural than scientific, somehow retaining Pluto as a planet but preventing the list from heading into the dozens. Then again, I could be completely wrong. And I expect astronomers are just about as sure about all this as me right now.

Catch up on the arguments in last week’s blog.