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.

[Tax-chick]

A show I have never seen. I’m sure it was picturesque, though!

[Monkey Face]

I have Calvin and Hobbes, but only one Far Side book. And My C&H is only four books, as someone stole one out of my desk at work. Who would do such a nasty thing is beyond me, but I hope they have nightmares for a good many years.

People here (LV) are really nasty.

[moose07]

Supposed to rain this evening.....one moment. *looks out of window*
Your Barometer is right, it is indeed raining.

[Monkey Face]

Grooming a horse is soothing to both the horse and me. I’ve always liked doing it. Especially in the hot summer when I could hose them down. :o]

[moose07]

It needs to be on your future to-do list.
But be warned,it is an acquired taste.

[Monkey Face]

I wonder why I didn’t watch Last of the Summer Wine? I think I would have enjoyed it.

[Covenantor]

Have had a half-hearted drizzle since lat night and continuing through the day, pervasive damp.

[moose07]

Sometimes it is side splitting, the newer ones where rubbishy.
The older ones where the best.

[Monkey Face]

That seems to be true with a lot of shows that have run a long time. The newer, younger writers have no clue about “continuity.”

I will see if I can find it.

[Tax-chick]

These had been rained on just enough to make the dirt sticky, but not enough to rinse them off.

[moose07]

G’Night, All

[Monkey Face]

And I, too, say, G’Night, All!

[Tax-chick]

‘Night to you both. We have to be out the door in 15 minutes.

[NoCmpromiz]

Easy.

It’s a Blue Door...

;-)

[NoCmpromiz]

Nevada Northern Railway (Ely, NV) has Dirt.

Somehow he looks like he works on the railroad..

[Scoutmaster]

In learning about England's better bits, did you run across the Strid?

It's not as wide as your Dowles Brooks, but it eats people in a wet, unexpected, gobbly way.

[Tax-chick]

Good morning!

[Tax-chick]

Today's kitten thinks the instructions about growing catnip are in this book.

[ArGee]

Today’s kitteh has discovered that sometimes you can open your mouth wide enough to get a thing into it, without being able to open your mouth wide enough to get it back out.

[Tax-chick]

That’s a very good point.