Astronomers Find a New Planet in Solar System

The New York Times ^ | 7/29/05 | KENNETH CHANG

[Right Wing Professor]

Add a 10th planet to the solar system - or possibly subtract one.

Astronomers announced today that they have found a lump of rock and ice that is larger than Pluto and the farthest known object in the solar system. The discovery will likely rekindle debate over the definition of "planet" and whether Pluto should still be regarded as one.

The new object - as yet unnamed - is currently 9 billion miles away from the Sun, or about three times Pluto's current distance from the Sun. But its 560-year orbit also brings it as close as 3.3 billion miles. Pluto's elliptical orbit ranges between 2.7 billion and 4.6 billion miles.

The astronomers do not have an exact size for the new planet, but its brightness and distance tell them that it is at least as large as Pluto.

"It is guaranteed bigger than Pluto," said Michael E. Brown, a professor of planetary astronomy at Caltech, who led the team that made the discovery. "Even if it were 100 percent reflective, it would be larger than Pluto. It can't be more than 100 percent reflective."

The discovery was made Jan. 8 using a 48-inch telescope at Palomar Observatory. The astronomers, however, were not able to see it using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which looks at infrared light. That means the planet is less than 1,800 miles in diameter.

[Right Wing Professor]

Name that planet, FReepers!

[randog]

Astrologers are all messed up now.

[Army Air Corps]

Jane Fonda's Heart - cold and hard.

[kingu]

Professor Brown wants it to be called 'Lila'. Here's his webpage on the discovery. Note; this is the second large object declared found in the last twenty four hours - a smaller object was in the news earlier today.

http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/index.html

[Army Air Corps]

Just remember, "It Came from Planet X".

[RightWhale]

This is the same Kuiper object as on the other threads.

[PetroniusMaximus]

Can we send the liberals there?

[headsonpikes]

Kucinski.

[thoughtomator]

Let's call it "Wlar", which stands for "Where Liberals Are Right".

[decal]

It's insignificantly small, as intelligent as a rock, and waaaaaaay out there - call it "Howarddean."

[PetroniusMaximus]

Well, it's a "lump" that's out in the cold - far from the limelight...

How about "Planet Gore"

[kingu]

Astronomers Find a New Planet in Solar System

In a not unrelated story, Howard Dean announced that he has finally found something for the Democrat party to stand for.. Planets smaller than Mercury aren't planets. This announcement drew immediate protests from the AFL-CIO who was already considering unionizing smaller planetoids into a group known as 'StarUnion' "Just because you're small, this doesn't mean that others can define you," noted Congressman Dennis Kucinich, a bitter rival of Dean.

Senator Hilary Clinton's office declined to comment, taking a wait and see attitude that is very common to her mainstream image these days. Former Vice President Al Gore couldn't be reached for comment, which is likely a good thing.

[ZGuy]

If that's true then the NYT must have . . . screwed up. (Inconceivable!) The earlier announcements said that it is definitely smaller than Pluto. But the NYT says it's definitely larger. . . gee, whom to believe, whom to believe. . .?

[tortoise]

This is the same Kuiper object as on the other threads.

Three massive new Kuiper belt objects have been cataloged in the last day or so, two in the ballpark of the size of Pluto, and one unambiguously larger. The amateur Spanish astronomer scooped Brown on that other object, and so Brown's group is publishing the rest of their objects, lest they lose credit for those as well.

This one, 2003 UB313, is by far the most interesting as it is more like a regular planet in many respects. Unlike the other objects and Pluto, it does not have the Neptunian orbital resonance thing going on.

[ZGuy]

Uranus is already taken. How about Urectum?

(From Futurama)

[uglybiker]

It's Nibiru! The Anunakki have returned!

Oh NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

[Begin]

Professor Brown wants it to be called 'Lila'.

I like that name ever so much.

[tortoise]

There are three different objects that have been cataloged in the last 24 hours. Two in the ballpark of Pluto's size, and one unambiguously larger.

[kingu]

If that's true then the NYT must have . . . screwed up. (Inconceivable!) The earlier announcements said that it is definitely smaller than Pluto. But the NYT says it's definitely larger. . . gee, whom to believe, whom to believe. . .?

One object which is definitely smaller, one object which is at least as large, if not far larger, than Pluto.

[kingu]

Three? Ghads, I caught only two of them. 2003EL61 and 2003EL331 (Lila) -- what is the third?