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 ...
Welcome. Pull up a chair and sit a while.. ;-)
Your ‘name’ wouldn’t have any connection to a line in an old letter that has received wide publication over the years that goes something like “barbarian, Scythian, slave or free” would it?
Bill has a plan to make a ramen dish. I don’t know what he bought. DP bought some mini-bananas and some large mushrooms.
LOL!! I enjoyed that! It was fun!
And now, she says, I’m outta here.
G’night, all!
Hope you have a good time! Bill is going to the movies tonight with his girlfriend, but he won’t be out late because he has to work at 8:00 tomorrow.

I went to bed because I was cold. I stayed cold for a long time, even with the heated mattress pad. And then the phone rang. It rang again at 1830, and it was the same number. Since I didn’t recognize it, I didn’t answer it, completely forgetting that Cox’s policy is for techs to call before they come out.
But I took the messages off a little later, and if it was a Cox tech, he didn’t leave a message, like most do. So I will have to wait for tomorrow for someone to undo what the Cox tech did on Tuesday. Oh well. Life is too good sometimes, and needs a glitch or two to liven things up a bit.
I feel bad for Bill, having to work on Thanksgiving and/or Black Friday. *shudder* No way I’m going out in that “stuff” until Monday.
Since I’m not a fish eater, that doesn’t even remotely sound edible.
No, and I just had the worst cup ever!
And look, Moosie: We’re in before the kitteh!

This mother and babies live in Germany.
Good morning, FRiends. Happy Thanksgiving! I slept late.
Love the spotted one!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Your first Thanksgiving in Peoria!
Happy Thanksgiving ya’all!
Feeling very thankful this year for only having First World problems... :-)
Happy Thanksgiving to you and you’res! *snort*
I had an early meeting with Zeke, and he is officially a “non-resident council chairman.” No other penalties or fines. He said, and I quote, “Meh.” (Well, that’s the closest translation to what he really said, but it is what it is.) ;o]
Happy Thanksgiving, Sandy! Are you in AZ?
Happy Thanksgiving, DC! My best to your family! *hugs*
Good morning! Did you have snow?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.