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You can help name the largest unnamed world in the solar system
www.newscientist.com ^ | 9 April 2019 | By Leah Crane

Posted on 04/09/2019 11:16:13 AM PDT by Red Badger

A dwarf planet discovered over a decade ago is the largest body we know of in our solar system without a proper name – but that’s about to change.

Meg Schwamb, an astronomer at Gemini Observatory in Hawaii, and her colleagues have opened a public vote to name the distant world, which is currently known only as 2007 OR10. They have selected three potential names that fit the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) rules on official names for minor planets, and will recommend the winner to the IAU, which will then select the formal name.

So why now, instead of when the researchers discovered OR10 in 2007? “You can’t name something when you don’t know anything about it,” says Schwamb. “When we found it, I knew the orbit and generally the size.” Now, after lots of follow-up observations, we know more than just that it is about 1250 kilometres across and orbits beyond Pluto in the Kuiper belt.

We know that its surface is covered in water ice, with traces of methane ice. When sunlight hits the methane ice, it turns red, which may be why OR10 is one of the reddest rocks in the Kuiper belt. The water ice may have welled up from deep inside OR10 sometime in its past through cryovolcanism.

“It went from being this point of light to a whole world,” says Schwamb. And a world must have a name. The three names Schwamb and her colleagues have proposed are Gonggong, a Chinese water god who caused floods and chaos, Holle, a winter spirit from European folk tales who is associated with fertility and rebirth, and Vili, a Nordic god and brother of Odin. The vote is now open to the public.

(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Education; History; Science
KEYWORDS: 2007or10; astronomy; kuiperbelt; science; xplanets
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To: Red Badger

Li’l Bubba


21 posted on 04/09/2019 11:25:44 AM PDT by fruser1
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To: Red Badger

I voted for Vili.


22 posted on 04/09/2019 11:27:09 AM PDT by Shadow44
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To: Red Badger

Inferus dei


23 posted on 04/09/2019 11:27:24 AM PDT by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: Red Badger

“Megan ‘Meg’ E. Schwamb (born 1984) is an American astronomer and planetary scientist.”

And she chose not one American-rooted name.


24 posted on 04/09/2019 11:27:28 AM PDT by simpson96
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To: Red Badger

All the other planets have cool divinity names. How about Nephthys? Egyptian goddess. Of beer.


25 posted on 04/09/2019 11:27:31 AM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Red Badger

Lebowski


26 posted on 04/09/2019 11:28:11 AM PDT by smvoice (I WILL NOT WEAR THE RIBBON)
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To: richardtavor

Trump: Will he build a resort there.


27 posted on 04/09/2019 11:29:26 AM PDT by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Gone but not forgiven.)
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To: Red Badger

Its not pc to call it a “dwarf” planet. Thats size-ist.

Its a Little Planet. Humunculous Prime.


28 posted on 04/09/2019 11:29:58 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Red Badger

Father Guido Sarduche named this planet already.

She’s a called Going Going Gonggong Planet


29 posted on 04/09/2019 11:31:23 AM PDT by Gasshog
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To: Red Badger

Mianus


30 posted on 04/09/2019 11:31:29 AM PDT by Leep (It's.. (W)all or nothing..!)
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To: Red Badger

“Meg Schwamb, an astronomer at Gemini Observatory in Hawaii, and her colleagues have opened a public vote to name the distant world, which is currently known only as 2007 OR10. They have selected three potential names that fit the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) rules on official names for minor planets, and will recommend the winner to the IAU, which will then select the formal name.”

And the only three names accepted for voting are:

“The three names Schwamb and her colleagues have proposed are Gonggong, a Chinese water god who caused floods and chaos, Holle, a winter spirit from European folk tales who is associated with fertility and rebirth, and Vili, a Nordic god and brother of Odin.”

Makes you wonder just what in the hell are the only “International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) rules on official names for minor planets”.


31 posted on 04/09/2019 11:31:51 AM PDT by Wuli
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To: simpson96

Astronomical names are traditionally mythological................


32 posted on 04/09/2019 11:32:20 AM PDT by Red Badger (We are headed for a Civil War. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
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To: Red Badger

Obama. Since everything in the universe revolves around him.


33 posted on 04/09/2019 11:32:22 AM PDT by Tommygun99 (I've gone to look for myself. If I should return before I get back, keep me here!)
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To: Red Badger

Priapus.


34 posted on 04/09/2019 11:32:29 AM PDT by yarddog
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To: Shadow44

Not Manilli?...............


35 posted on 04/09/2019 11:33:08 AM PDT by Red Badger (We are headed for a Civil War. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
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To: Red Badger

Planet Wangtangdingalingadingdang was my second choice.


36 posted on 04/09/2019 11:33:54 AM PDT by Leep (It's.. (W)all or nothing..!)
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To: Red Badger

I guess Asty McAsteroid isn’t on the list ...


37 posted on 04/09/2019 11:34:11 AM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Red Badger
Sausage Pizza.

Hey, I’m hungry... sue me.
38 posted on 04/09/2019 11:36:01 AM PDT by LIConFem (I will no longer accept the things I cannot change. it's time to change the things I cannot accept.)
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To: Red Badger

Midge.


39 posted on 04/09/2019 11:36:03 AM PDT by bgill (when you badmouth women, you are badmouthing your mama and the good women on FR)
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To: Red Badger

Planet Wangtangdingalingabingbang was my second choice.

Dang autocorrect.


40 posted on 04/09/2019 11:36:04 AM PDT by Leep (It's.. (W)all or nothing..!)
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