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]

Jiffy lube from Texas...
Everything will be fine.

I still check every time, right in front of ‘em.
mooses have long memories. :)

[Covenantor]

Always check the spare oil drain plug jar at the register before you pay.... just sayin’.

[Monkey Face]

*tagline*

[Covenantor]

Eagle, stealth mode wing walking

[ArGee]

Not me. Sea foam is what you get when waves break on the shore.

I have no idea what a Ceridian (or whatever) is.

[Monkey Face]

Hahaha! Good one!

[Monkey Face]

Very nice! Thanks!

[Covenantor]

When reception is spotty, always check the power and data cables. See 259 to check connections.

See sea now? Si!

[moose07]

:)
They aren’t that blatant, the jar is under the counter.

[moose07]

One of ‘yours’ or one of ‘ours’?

[Covenantor]

This is suburban DC, they are shameless. On the counter in your face only $29.99. Next to the tip jar. No coins please.

[Covenantor]

That’s the question now, isn’t it. Source dumb on the matter.

Would hate to have it be “other”.

[Tax-chick]

Good news about the parking spot. Now drink your wine!

We’re just back from the closing ceremonies of Vacation Bible School, and the next step is Nap.

[Covenantor]

I once took the D train downtown...all the way down.

[Tax-chick]

That’s a great view!

[moose07]

Could be wrong, but I think it is one of our New ones.

[Covenantor]

Despite all my years living in NYC, I never knew that derelict subway cars were stripped and dumped offshore to become artificial reefs and fish habitats. Must have happened in the past decade or so.

[moose07]

There are less extreme measures to remove bubble gum from seats.....

[Tax-chick]

I would never had known.

[moose07]

Q