Posted on 07/12/2016 8:03:24 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
57, W @ 6 mph, clear (for now,) 40%
It’s almost time to fire up the space heater. I left the fan on in the bedroom but compensated by throwing an extra blanket on the bed.
Goodness knows, but now that you’re here, Hi.
Are those Tribbles?
[What’s the plural of Tribble?]
[What is a group of Tribbles called? I propose a ‘federation’ of tribbles]
It’s hard to understand that, Mr. K, since we’ve been here, in one form or another, since 2004.
Welcome to the Undead Thread, aka, The Flying Castle. The history of the thread can be found on Nicknamedbob’s home page, if you want to spend a day reading some good science fiction!
We really like newcomers, but they don’t last long. They often get lost in the Lower Levels or the Zombies feed them to the basilisk. Those that survive are usually our Best FRiends Forever! So, again, Welcome!
“I believe he’s thinking about biting the hand that feeds him.”
+10
Morning, SJB. How are you?
By stumbling across it in the dark?
Now that you’ve found it it offers years of fireside reading for those cold winter nights... ;-)
You can even read it in the dentist’s chair.
SHHHHHHH! It’s a secret.
Normally the denizens of the lower levels of the basement help us keep the word from being spread.
I didn’t even remember we ever had a post 84.
Yes, those are tribbles
I think a group of tribbles is called a “disaster” Only slightly less so than a group of liberals.
Don’t worry too much about being fed to the basilisk. It’s happened to me at least 3 times. It sounds worse than it is.
I got a filling in a top rear molar. James’s snaggletooth will continue to be an oddity until all his teeth are in. Something can be done about it after that.
Is your face numb? Have a Pink Drink and you won’t even notice!
My daughter had two snaggletooths (snaggleteeth?), and when she was in her late 20’s, she had them removed. Then she got dentures. She likes them. And I’m glad for her.
This is the current Undead Thread.
There honestly hasn’t been a really good candidate for us to move to.
:-/
The “Undead Thread” is something of a joke, a “meta-thread” that moves from within one thread to another.
It all started awhile back on the thread by jj_fate where a bunch of us finally got fed up with the troll posters and said, “Wouldn’t it be funny to hijack their threads instead?”
And it kinda snowballed from there.
And now I think, since the storm glass is getting lots of crystals and the barometer is dropping, I will go get parallel to the deck and put some heat on my back.
Tomorrow, then!
Hey, Darks!!! You have been missed!
I know, been crazy lately.
Wish in a good way, but...
My face is fine. I have a meeting tonight. Hope you sleep well.
Dr. Dhulab suggested a veneer, eventually.
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