Eris’ Moon of Dysnomia

Ask a person what Dysnomia refers to... But in addition to being a condition that affects the memory (where people have a hard time remembering words and names), it is also the only known moon of the distant dwarf planet Eris.

In fact, the same team that discovered Eris a decade ago – a discovery that threw our entire notion of what constitutes a planet into question – also discovered a moon circling it shortly thereafter.

The actual size of Dysnomia is subject to dispute, and estimates are based largely on the planet’s albedo relative to Eris. For example, the IAU and Johnston’s Asteroids with Satellites Database estimate that it is 4.43 magnitudes fainter than Eris and has an approximate diameter of between 350 and 490 km (217 – 304 miles)

However, Brown and his colleagues have stated that their observations indicate it to be 500 times fainter and between 100 and 250 km (62 – 155 miles) in diameter. Using the Herschel Space Observatory in 2012, Spanish astronomer Pablo Santo Sanz and his team determined that, provided Dysnomia has an albedo five times that of Eris, it is likely to be 685±50 km in diameter.

Currently, there is no direct evidence to indicate what Dysnomia is made of. However, based on observations made of other Kuiper Belt Objects, it is widely believed that Dysnomia is composed primarily of ice. This is based largely on infrared observations made of Haumea (2003 EL61), the fourth largest object in the Kuiper Belt (after Eris, Pluto and Makemake) which appears to be made entirely of frozen water.

Astronomers now know that three of the four brightest KBOs – Pluto, Eris and Haumea – have one or more satellites. Meanwhile, of the fainter members, only about 10% are known to have satellites.

A practical neurological solution: Say “what does it do?” Most people have difficulty with the abstraction of nouns, but when their brains are perked up with a verb prompt, they will immediately reply with the name.

2 posted on 07/28/2015 1:53:12 PM PDT by CharlesOConnell (CharlesOConnell)

Interesting!

3 posted on 07/28/2015 1:54:16 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)

Discordian *Pong!*

All Hail The Sacred Chao!

4 posted on 07/28/2015 1:59:05 PM PDT by shibumi ("Cover it with gas and set it on fire.")

Almost forgot the Sacred Word.

The Sacred Chao goes "Mu!"

5 posted on 07/28/2015 2:01:32 PM PDT by shibumi ("Cover it with gas and set it on fire.")

6 posted on 07/28/2015 2:21:36 PM PDT by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)

To: BenLurkin; brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...

7 posted on 07/28/2015 3:14:29 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)

Around here, bacon — is the sacred chow.

8 posted on 07/28/2015 3:28:40 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)

To: KevinDavis; annie laurie; Knitting A Conundrum; Viking2002; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Mmogamer; ...

Note: this topic is from 7/28/2015. Thanks BenLurkin. Beats me why I didn't add this to X-Planets before this.

Thanks .



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9 posted on 09/14/2015 3:48:38 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)

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