The 10th Planet

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[img]http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2005/07/30/PH2005073000404.jpg[/img]

2003UB313

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050729_new_planet.html

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2005-07-30T015035Z_01_N29470376_RTRIDST_0_SCIENCE-SPACE-PLANET-DC.XML

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/30/AR2005073000403.html [indent]

The object is inclined by a whopping 45 degrees to the main plane of the solar system, where most of the other planets orbit. That's why it eluded discovery: nobody was looking there until now, Brown said.
Some astronomers view it as a Kuiper Belt object and not a planet. The Kuiper Belt is a region of frozen objects beyond Neptune.

Pluto is called a Kuiper Belt object by many astronomers. Brown himself has argued in the past for Pluto's demotion from planet status, because of its diminutive size and eccentric and inclined orbit.

But today he struck a different note.

"Pluto has been a planet for so long that the world is comfortable with that," Brown said in the teleconference. "It seems to me a logical extension that anything bigger than Pluto and farther out is a planet.

[/indent] http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mystery_monday_031201.html

[RickW]

The object is inclined by a whopping 45 degrees to the main plane of the solar system, where most of the other planets orbit. That's why it eluded discovery: nobody was looking there until now, Brown said.

If that is true, then I wonder how many other "planets" we haven't noticed yet. :eek:

[server_crash]

Hmm, wonder if that's just an undiscovered moon of another planet...

[MartyMcFly]

Planet or not, it's surely what we can learn from it that makes it exciting. Good definition is anything Pluto size or bigger, is a singularity, and orbits a Star is a planet. I can't stand scientists that argue about this stuff just to try and justify their existance.

Anyway, thanks for the links, !!, look forward to reading them at home.

Also, love the names they give these things.

[TheAlex]

What happened to the 'planet' smiley that was discovered in the 90s? Did that turn out to be a moon?

I also don't get why they do these perfect computer generated images that probably don't look much like the planet. Let's see what they see through the telescope! Maybe I'll search for some photos.

[server_crash]

What happened to the 'planet' smiley that was discovered in the 90s? Did that turn out to be a moon?

I also don't get why they do these perfect computer generated images that probably don't look much like the planet. Let's see what they see through the telescope! Maybe I'll search for some photos.

Same thoughts here. They got a nice pic of pluto but the pic of the planet looks like a nice photoshop edit with the pretty halo around it. I would like to see it up close.

[kc0arf]

Hello,

Any picture of Pluto is a bright dot. Not even the Hubble Telescope can resolve the planet clear enough to see if there are clouds there, or ice.

Pluto has the interesting fact that it has a moon, Charon. The two orbit each other around a central mass point somewhere in space between them.

I have to wonder what name they propose for the object.

Christian

[server_crash]

Wait, so which one in that picture is actually the planet they are talking about? Is it the actual planet you see, or is it the bright dot? I was thinking it was the bright dot, but I'm probably wrong.

[MartyMcFly]

I think its a graphical representation, because any planet that far away can not be seen through visual light, because it will not have hardly any light from the Sun to reflect. The dot is the sun, and the planet is the planet.

Also there are no other stars, the sky, (for want of a better word), would be filled with stars, which we unfortunately can't see from most of our planet due to the atmosphere and, (for us urban dwellers) light polution, .

[Cain]

This is a cool discovery even if the retards are going to argue the "is it a planet or not?" question to death. the news and nasa seem to think its a planet. not that
the media isn't ever wrong or misleading or anything like that...

definately a cool find.

[server_crash]

This is a cool discovery even if the retards are going to argue the "is it a planet or not?" question to death.

Excuse me? No one ever questioned wether it was a cool discovery, YOU retard. Maybe if you can't understand what context something was said in, you don't need to call somone a retard.

[crunchie]

I believe that Cain is/was referring to the scientists as 'retards,' or at least, that is how I read it.
Let's keep the name calling out of it and not get personal please :).

[belama]

I believe that Cain is/was referring to the scientists as 'retards,' or at least, that is how I read it. Let's keep the name calling out of it and not get personal please :).

Yea, I think he's talking about the scientists too.

Something interesting thing is that in 280 years it will be as close as Neptune. I wonder if it means it will exit the Kuiper Belt like Pluto does. If so, why couldnt it be called a planet if Pluto is one?

Its a very interesting subject.

[Cain]

Excuse me? No one ever questioned wether it was a cool discovery, YOU retard. Maybe if you can't understand what context something was said in, you don't need to call somone a retard.

Yup, was talking about the scientists...
...now who is out of context?

[jwenting]

Well, given that the definition of "planet" isn't set in stone there's bound to be people (including scientists who often have highly inflamable brains) who will argue that these are not planets.

There is no limit as to what is a planet described in things like size and orbit.
And as these objects (there's actually 3 of them, though only one made the news) are both in a region where objects are not generally classed as planets (and with the orbits to suit) and are of a size which DOES class them as planets (as they're as large as or larger than the smallest recognised planets) there's option for debate.