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.

[Monkey Face]

No, the enrollment period for G-Ma’s Boot Camp has long passed for the teens...

[ArGee]

Ping for when I finish my current novel.

[ArGee]

If I had a kitten I’d consider it.

[ArGee]

Actually, T-C, you should bring them up to NYC some time. I can introduce them to all the homeless people up here who didn’t work to make something of themselves when they were teens.

[Tax-chick]

Is it bedtime, yet?

For Sally it is. I keep going by and singing the "Hamilton" soundtrack at her. "Rise up! When are these people gonna Rise Up!? Put on some pants and Rise Up!" etc. I'm sure Elen is already very sorry she made the CDs for me.

[Tax-chick]

They could see the homeless people in Charlotte, too.

[ArGee]

But can you live where you live and NOT see them?

Here, they’re everywhere

[Monkey Face]

I finally got my filing done, and in the process, I found the missing bookmarks. But I still haven’t found the checks.

*sheesh*

****

And then I stopped so I could get some stuff cleaned off my desk, but still, no checks.

[ArGee]

Sure, sure, I'll trust you.

[ArGee]

Did you look at this place?

[Monkey Face]

No, but my sister probably did...She said she was married to a Bum Czech. (Before he passed away...)

[NoCmpromiz]

;-)

[NoCmpromiz]

And..

[ArGee]

I saw “Bum Czech” on a bumper sticker as I was going by a car last weekend.

I suppose that means I passed a bum Czech.

[ArGee]

Note to self: Never code while hungry.

[Tax-chick]

Hey, y’all. Pat has been programming today. I’ve had to do other things.

[NoCmpromiz]

Seems like..

[ArGee]

Oh, yeah. I feel it!

[ArGee]

Looks like some place in Central Park.

[Monkey Face]

Time to shut down. T-storms rattling around, here.