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.

[NoCmpromiz]

6500?

---

Yes. Yes it is.

[Tax-chick]

Nah, I’d be no use to them.

[Tax-chick]

Yes, it is. I was playing games with Kathleen and James.

[Tax-chick]

"Monday out there? O noes!"

[Darksheare]

Snowing.
Brought with it the usual attendant idiocy.

[Tax-chick]

Oh, dear. I hope you’re somewhere safe! When it snows here, most people stay home.

[Darksheare]

I’m safe, -ish.
I don’t have to head back out in it now.
Heading to bed, got off work to deal with the road fun.
Ugh.

[Tax-chick]

I hope you have a good rest! I have cats wanting to go out in the cold rain.

[null and void]

*yawn* ‘morning...

[Covenantor]

That akward stage before the Mohawk grows out....

[Monkey Face]

Darn you!

Oh. Wait. What am I saying? I was in bed! Hahahaha!

[Monkey Face]

...It was packed!

Precisely why I go to Walmart between 0430 and 0600. Hardly anyone is there but the stalkers and checquers so getting through it and out the door is a breeze, even on payday.

Sometimes, I have to wait in the check line for one-to-three patrons, but for the most part, it's easy going. :o]

I can't imagine waiting for the Walmartians to show up.

[Tax-chick]

People are pretty normal around here, even when it’s really busy. I spotted a few people from church.

Good morning! I’ve washed up from the Overnight People and told them it’s time to get up and start their new mess.

[Tax-chick]

Shouldn’t have gotten distracted during the haircut ...

[Monkey Face]

Yes. “Monday out there,” fer shure.

[Silentgypsy]

He/she does look concerned.

[Tax-chick]

She. This morning’s kitten is the sister of the gray kittens from the last couple of days. Their (solid black) mother obviously had a fancy for stripy guys.

[Covenantor]

Currently very annoyed and distracted by a large flock of itinerant crows who have convened a very loud caw-cuss session in the pines.

[ArGee]

Morning.

I managed to actually (mostly) run 10K on Saturday. It was my first.

I’m still trying to figure out why as nobody was chasing me. Maybe somewhere deep inside I’m convinced civilization is about to collapse and I’ll need some survival skills.

As of now, if anyone with a walker is chasing me, I’m golden.

[NicknamedBob]

"As of now, if anyone with a walker is chasing me, I’m golden."

Just stay off their lawn.