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.

[Covenantor]

TC --- Fascinating show coming up Raleigh.

North Carolina Museum of Art

.

Rolling Scupture - Art Deco Cars
from the 1930's and 1940's

OCTOBER 1, 2016–JANUARY 15, 2017

Among many others, this Bugatti 57S 1935 Aerolith coupe....

And this Packard 12 cylinder beauty. right click view image to see wallpaper image.

[Tax-chick]

Yes, that was a weird-looking cat!

[Tax-chick]

That looks really fun. I haven’t been to Raleigh ever, as far as I know.

[Monkey Face]

That Packard is beautiful!

[NicknamedBob]

I’ve been to Raleigh, but my information is out of date.

[Monkey Face]

I’m back from Wally’s. As I was driving up the hill from the car bays, there was a line of five cars coming around the turn! I left just in time!

They normally have one checkstand open at this hour, and I got behind some tweaker who couldn’t seem to decide what to put on the belt or not, then she couldn’t find her money, and the entire time, she left her cart between us so I couldn’t move forward and unload what little I had.

Finally the checker called for another checker on the next stand over, so that’s where I went. *sheesh* So early??? GAH!

[Covenantor]

Just quick scan indicates lots of fine motors... might have to take a trip down there. Sounds like a unique gathering of autos. hmmmmm

[Covenantor]

Isn’t it though. And that paint color is perfect for it.

[ArGee]

Welcome to 2016 America where I am the only thing that matters.

[Monkey Face]

I was thinking the same thing about the paint. Beautiful red!

[Monkey Face]

LOL!! <3

[ArGee]

There’s neither a ‘we’ or a ‘u’ in American. But there is an ‘i’.

[Tax-chick]

Just back from Weight Watchers; I got to chatting after the meeting ...

After lunch, I’ll go to Walmart.

Shannon just showed up to tell us she despises us.

Did anyone watch the debate?

[Monkey Face]

Not me. That was my sleepy time, so I was watching the dreams.

I’m hungry.

[ArGee]

I watched until my BP started to spike - somewhere in the first 10 minutes. Then I checked out the Mets.

They weren’t much better, but at least they don’t make me want to put something through the screen.

[Tax-chick]

I was hungry, but then I ate.

[Tax-chick]

I got home from Scouts about 9:15 and then read a book for a while.

[ArGee]

My problem is I keep getting that backwards.

[ArGee]

And then there's this.

[Tax-chick]

That could be confusing.