Astronomers claim discovery of 10th planet in solar system

Outlook ^ | July 30,2005 | AFP

[BadAndy]

Planet Hollywood?

[AntiGuv]

Vulcan, Quirinus, Aeolus. Technically Vulcan is already the name of a hypothetical planet inside the orbit of Mercury. Unfortunately a number of the 'big' names have been wasted on relatively trivial objects (Apollo, Minerva, Juno, Bacchus, Vesta etc).

[plangent]

The size of an object in the solar system object can be inferred by its brightness, just as the size of a faraway light bulb can be calculated if one knows its wattage, he explained.

My 100 watt lightbulb is brighter than my 40 watt lightbulb, but they are the same size. Maybe I'm just a dim bulb this am. Is this a new way of thinking in the physical sciences?

[GAB-1955]

They've pretty much exhausted the Greek and Roman mythological roster in the Asteroid Belt. The big Kuiper-belt objects are being named after creation goddesses.

[InterceptPoint]

Vulcan, Quirinus, Aeolus. Technically Vulcan is already the name of a hypothetical planet inside the orbit of Mercury. Unfortunately a number of the 'big' names have been wasted on relatively trivial objects (Apollo, Minerva, Juno, Bacchus, Vesta etc).

Looks like all the "good ones" are gone. Maybe we could get it named after Jim Robinson.

[bert]

I have known about it for years.

The author Peter Thompkins wrote a book about the Mexican pyramids being a model of the solar system. Included are temples of the moon and sun and each of the planets.

There are 10 planets in the very large model. The Aztec astronomers were on the ball.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Rename Pluto "Studio 54?"

[Bernard]

If Pluto is an honorary planted, then we could re-name it "Norton", after the honorary member of the House of Representatives who has no vote.

And the new one should be Mongo. Of course, if it's 9 BILLION miles from the Sun, just how big can a solar system be?

[VermiciousKnid]

How exciting!

I hope the new name fits into the My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets thing...

[VermiciousKnid]

Oops...just realized that Nine Planets won't work anymore.

Looks like we're all going to have to learn a new sentence.

[Willie Green]

Unfortunately a number of the 'big' names have been wasted on relatively trivial objects (Apollo, Minerva, Juno, Bacchus, Vesta etc).

Whoa there...
hold it a minute...
who said that Bacchus was "trivial"????

[martin_fierro]

You gotta download & try Celestia.

Vey, VEY cool program!

I'm series.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

I was kind of hoping they'd break with Greco-Roman tradition and name the new planet "Mickey" to go with "Pluto". The next one can be "Goofy."

[fanfan]

LOL!

[Wormwood]

It already has a name: Yuggoth

[Caipirabob]

Excellent! I'm download ing now. Sounds like it will be fun to check out with my kids.

And in my spare time, I can continue my search for the "Planet of the wonton Brasileiras". It's not for me, it's for the betterment of the human condition, plus my son will be dating in a few short years... ; )

[King Prout]

ok, so it is supposedly bigger than Pluto.

now, a question: what is the DEAL with Pluto and Charon/Khyron? are they considered planets, or just big planetoids at this point?

[King Prout]

All planets are planetoids. All planetoids are not planets.

AAARRRRRGHHH!!!

this sloppy construct must be killed on sight wherever it is found!

The author means (but does not SAY) the following: "All planets are planetoids. NOT ALL planetoids are planets."

*extreme grumbling*

[King Prout]

In contrast, the earth has a diameter of about 12,000 km, while the largest other object in the earth's vicinity, the asteroid Ganymed, has a diameter of about 41 km, a factor of 300!

survey SAYS? XXX!
The diameter of Earth's moon is 3,476 kilometers (2,160 miles). I think this voids the "solitary" definition, rendering the Earth-Moon system a planetary binary.

[ClearBlueSky]

Hoth? lol

Seriously- Brownsworld has a certain ring to it! Or Wotworld- Way Out There World.