New Dwarf Planet Discovered Far Beyond Pluto's Orbit

space.com ^ | 07/11/2016

[BenLurkin]

Pluto isn't quite as lonely as scientists had thought.

Astronomers have discovered another dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt, the ring of icy objects beyond Neptune. But this newfound world, dubbed 2015 RR245, is much more distant than Pluto, orbiting the sun once every 700 Earth years, scientists said. (Pluto completes one lap around the sun every 248 Earth years.)

"The icy worlds beyond Neptune trace how the giant planets formed and then moved out from the sun," discovery team member Michele Bannister, of the University of Victoria in British Columbia, said in a statement. "They let us piece together the history of our solar system."

...

The exact size of 2015 RR245 is not yet known, but the researchers think it's about 435 miles (700 kilometers) wide. Pluto is the largest resident of the Kuiper Belt, with a diameter of 1,474 miles (2,371 km).

The research team first spotted 2015 RR245 in February of this year, while poring over images that the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii took in September 2015 as part of the ongoing Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS).

"There it was on the screen — this dot of light moving so slowly that it had to be at least twice as far as Neptune from the sun," Bannister said.

[moose07]

Hmmmm
Safe removal of politicians from the mind may require a high fibre diet.

[Tax-chick]

I will take a close look at the scansion, when the muse strikes me, and find an appropriate melody, for which Elen will play the guitar, and we will take the music world by storm.

[NicknamedBob]

Credit to ‘Face. I simply recognized the implicit art.

[Tax-chick]

Of course, ‘Face gets the ultimate creative credit.

[NoCmpromiz]

you'll have a hit country song.

I thought for that it needed the obligatory truck..

..or a cheatin' lover..

..or a hounddog..

..or something similar..

But I guess a Maine Coon will suffice.

'n they can be right purty too.

[NicknamedBob]

If you play country song backwards it gets a happy ending.

[NoCmpromiz]

And then there are the country songs where you’re just happy they’re ending..

[Covenantor]

Good morning....

Nothing like watching that first drop of cream plonking into the morning coffee. mmmmmmmmm!

[Covenantor]

Yeah...that little Lazy Man image bugged me.

Maybe put one of these in with him.

[moose07]

Uhhh, we’re gonna need a bigger Cup.

Morning.
Still booting up.
Looks like a Caturday.

[moose07]

[Covenantor]

With expected 96F at 80+% humidity we’re looking
at indexed 109F... heat advisories have been issued. Real jungle now.

[Covenantor]

Shaolin Kung Fu Kitteh prepares for battle with General Tsao.

[Tax-chick]

[Monkey Face]

Ya done good on the poem, Bob, as always! Thanks.

Willy Nelson sucks rotten eggs. I never liked his singing because, and I have renamed him accordingly, he is too nasal. No one had ever heard of him until Jimmeh Cahteh invited him to the peanut farm at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

So he has been, and always will be, Willie Nasal to me.

[moose07]

Just reading your post caused a sweat.
There Is heavy rain over Louisiana at the moment , relief is on its way. (Possibly)

[moose07]

Morning TC,
Off out in a second.

A Kitttie with LW antenna.....For what possible reason(?)
Mice moved to Satellite Coms years ago.

[Monkey Face]

Yes, Moosie, and it’s still hanging around mine!

[Monkey Face]

That looks like an alien mushroom, in an oddly beautiful kind of way.

[moose07]

Boom