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Posted on 10/03/2008 6:21:38 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
the Taiwanese-American Occultation Survey (TAOS), spent two years periodically photographing portions of the sky to look for small chunks of rock and ice orbiting beyond Neptune, in a region of the solar system called the Kuiper Belt. The survey targeted Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) with sizes between 2 miles (3 km) and 17 miles (28 km).
Since such objects are too small to see directly, the survey watched for stars to dim as KBOs passed in front of and occulted them. After accumulating more than 200 hours of data watching for stellar flickers lasting a second or less, TAOS did not spot any occultations.
The Kuiper Belt contains objects in a range of sizes: a few very large ones (like the dwarf planets Pluto, Eris, Makemake and Haumea) and many more smaller ones. The commonness of a given size tells us information about the history of planet formation and dynamics. In particular, the size distribution of KBOs reflects a history of agglomeration, in which colliding objects tended to stick together, followed by destructive collisions, where collisional velocities were high enough to shatter the rocks involved.
Astronomers questioned whether they would find more and more objects as sizes decreased further, or whether the distribution leveled out. The fact that no occultations were seen sets a stringent upper limit on the number density of KBOs between 2 and 17 miles in diameter. The outer solar system hence appears not as crowded as some theories suggest, perhaps because small KBOs have already stuck together to form larger bodies or frequent collisions have ground down small KBOs into even smaller bits below the threshold of the survey.
(Excerpt) Read more at physorg.com ...
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I got pelted last time I was out that way.
Maybe not now, but wait until spring break.
I have to wonder if they took into consideration the possibility of KBOs being evenly distributed with inclinations ranging from the ecliptic all the way to being perpendicular to the solar system’s plane. If they assumed most or many of them would be found roughly around the ecliptic they might very well be wrong about the density but right about the absolute number present.
It’s hell on the windshield.
My pleasure.
is that a Kuiper Belt she’s wearing, or a really tiny swimsuit?
That’s a very good point IMHO.
The fact that no occultations were seen sets a stringent upper limit on the number density of KBOs between 2 and 17 miles in diameter. The outer solar system hence appears not as crowded as some theories suggest, perhaps because small KBOs have already stuck together to form larger bodies or frequent collisions have ground down small KBOs into even smaller bits below the threshold of the survey.
Obviously, this is all due to global warming. Our greenhouse gas emissions are melting the KBOs in outer space. I blame Cheney.
There’s a New Mexico joke in there somewhere, but I guess I’m too tired to spot it.
It's Lonely Out There -- This image shows the sun embedded in the glow of the zodiacal dust cloud. Jupiter and Neptune are visible as orange and blue "stars" to the right of the sun. New research shows that small, icy bodies like Pluto are rare in the outer solar system, but larger telescopes in development may prove otherwise. -- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute (JHUAPL/SwRI) |
Astronomers discover youthful icy objects in outer solar system
Thaindian | April 23rd, 2008 | ANI / New Scientist
Posted on 05/15/2008 10:11:38 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2016397/posts
Comets may be spawned when mum breaks up [circling the wagons cont’d]
New Scientist | Saturday, July 26, 2008 | David Shiga
Posted on 07/27/2008 9:57:14 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2052119/posts
Distant object found orbiting Sun backwards [ 2008 KV42 ]
New Scientist | Friday, September 5, 2008 | Jeff Hecht
Posted on 09/09/2008 1:43:56 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2077960/posts
-and-
Haumea [ Mike Brown’s Planets ]
Mike Brown’s Planets | Wednesday, September 17, 2008 | Mike Brown
Posted on 09/20/2008 9:12:02 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2086576/posts
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