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.

[BenLurkin]

I would be honored.

[firebrand]

Very funny. Well at least it will have people reading it. They can make up their own minds.

[NoCmpromiz]

I’m sure we will treat it well.. ;-)

[NoCmpromiz]

The multiplicity of names is very confusing.

As is the gullibility of the true believers..

Have you received your FREE BOOK and been practicing your mantras?

[Darksheare]

We will not be on a Zot Thread this month.
We will be in the outer nether reaches of the solar system.
And thread originator did give permission.
So please thank BenLurkin for donating the thread!

Now everybody: BEWARE of MI-GO BRAIN CYLINDERS.

What's this all about? Zotland the Craven		Some guidelines for posting on this thread. Some highlights of this thread.
	Spawn of the Undead Thread: The July Chronicles (redux) Ping! FReepmail Darksheare if you want on or off the ping list. This is a low volume ping list (every few days). Read: The Decemberish/January/February/March/April/May/June Chronicles (redux)

[Covenantor]

Thank ye kindly Ben....

[Chode]

well... that was quick

[PROCON]

[glock rocks]

I’m still recovering from LUDICROUS speed.

Evan Williams, stat!

[glock rocks]

... and I remembered my towel.

[Tax-chick]

Howya, Ben. Thanks for the new digs ... the old one was beginning to smell like rancid socks all the time. I tell folks to get their dirty things in the basket, but do they listen?

Zombies just everywhere, too!

[Tax-chick]

Hang your towel on the rail with the others so it will be dry in the morning.

[Tax-chick]

This is Fluffy, the Official Undead Baby Penguin. He's going to check the thread for fish.

[glock rocks]

Yes, ma’am.

I notice the humidity is quite low here. Might want to stock up on moisturizer... as they say in Arizona (and Utah) it’s a dry ... never mind.

[Tax-chick]

I notice the humidity is quite low here.

Good. It will keep the mildew down and take some of the frizz out of my hair.

[Delta 21]

[NoCmpromiz]

Will all that party noise cause those nine foot tall aliens living in that cave out in Nevada (or is it California?) to come out and play?

According to some their planet X is on its way.. ;-)

[NoCmpromiz]

Well, we have some fish sauce for him.. ;-)

[moose07]

Official UT Smoke Screen:

[moose07]

See, ya asks all nice and such, they lets you board the Galleon with ney a shot fired. Bwahahaha.
Ben has hosted for us before, so he knows we pay the rent and put the trash out on leaving. :)