The Dark Energy Survey Begins to Reveal Previously Unknown Trans-Neptunian Objects

universetoday.com ^ | on January 7, 2015 | Tim Reyes

[BenLurkin]

While asteroids residing in the inner solar system will pass quickly through such small fields, trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) orbit the Sun much more slowly. For example, Pluto, at an approximate distance of 40 A.U. from the Sun, along with the object Eris, presently the largest of the TNOs, has an apparent motion of about 27 arc seconds per day – although for a half year, the Earth’s orbital motion slows and retrogrades Pluto’s apparent motion. The 27 arc seconds is approximately 1/60th the width of a full Moon. So, from one night to the next, TNOs can travel as much as 100 pixels across the field of view of the DES survey detectors since each pixel has a width of 0.27 arc seconds.

[BenLurkin]

A simple plot of the orbit of one of sixteen TNOs discovered by DES observations. (Credit: Dark Energy Detectives)

[ClearCase_guy]

sixteen TNOs discovered by Tennessee Ernie Ford

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Trans-Neptunian Objects

I want to change my screen name!

[EternalHope]

Thanks for posting!

[Jack Hydrazine]

Do Neptunians or their trannies have a good sense of humor? LOL!

[null and void]

Only when they’re picking on Uranus...

[Kartographer]

Trans-Neptunian Objects?

I think I saw them marching in a Gay Pride Parade.

[SunkenCiv]

Undergraduate Researchers Discover New Trans-Neptunian Objects

[SunkenCiv]

http://reu.physics.lsa.umich.edu/previous-programs/reu-2014

[MrB]

Six posts to the uranus joke.

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.google.com/search?q=2013+QO95.
http://www.google.com/search?q=2012+VS113.
http://www.google.com/search?q=2013+TV158.
http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&object_id=2012+VS113

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin.

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[SunkenCiv]

Uranus Ring Turns Out Blue
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1612525/posts

[MrB]

They discovered blue rings around Uranus?

Fascinating.

[SunkenCiv]

Well, there’s an unusually large number of Uranus topics for some reason. ;’)

[mikrofon]

On the 8th planet of the Solar System named after Roman god of the sea, what fish would you expect to find?

…
…
…

A: Neptuna

(I won’t ask what Gum they chew there)