It's another world ... but is it our 10th planet?

The Australian ^ | 3/15/04 | Louise Milligan

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

SCIENTISTS have found a new world orbiting the solar system – more than 3 billion kilometres further away from the Sun than Pluto and 40 years away from Earth in a space shuttle.

NASA is expected to announce today the discovery of the space object, which some experts believe could be a new planet.

It is provisionally known as Sedna, after the Inuit goddess of the sea.

The discovery of Sedna – 10 billion kilometres from Earth – is a testament to the new generation of high-powered telescopes.

Measurements suggest Sedna's diameter is almost 2000km – the biggest find in the solar system since Pluto was discovered 74 years ago. It is believed to be made of ice and rock, and is slightly smaller than Pluto.

The find will reignite the debate over what constitutes a planet. Some scientists claim even Pluto is too small to count as one.

According to astronomer Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology, who discovered Sedna, there could be many other new worlds orbiting the Sun and waiting to be discovered.

"Sedna is very big, and much further out than previous discoveries," he said. "I'm pretty sure there are other large bodies up there too."

But physicist and cosmologist Paul Davies, of Sydney's Macquarie University, said it was folly to describe Sedna as a planet. "It's fun, it's exciting, but let's keep it in proportion," Professor Davies said yesterday.

He said scientists had known for "a decade or so the solar system does not come to an abrupt halt" and there were a number of "planetessimals" or little planets, like Sedna.

[Destro]

It is a big dirty snow ball. It should not be considered a terrestrial body i.e. "planet".

[Monty22]

Crummy PC name.

[Paul Atreides]

It's Andes, spelled backwards.

[dogbyte12]

Well, our planet is 2/3 water on the surface, yet it is mostly rock. What does constitute a planet anyways?

Can a planet also be a moon? If there is a planet 50 times larger than jupiter, yet has a "moon" that is 3 times bigger than earth, it is both a planet and a moon?

I demand answers!

[correctthought]

I dunno, I think Uranus is worse. Besides, I think they ran out of Greco-Roman gods already, and its better than calling it moehammud or something.

[dogbyte12]

I think Uranus is worse

Hey, now you are getting personal ;)

It reminds me of that Star Trek Episode where Kirk was upset when there were Klingons around Uranus.

[sonsofliberty2000]

A moon is something that revolves around a planet. If the moon only revolved around the sun, and not the Earth it might be a planet.

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Patriot Paradox

[Paul Atreides]

A big, frigid body? I'd call it "Hillary."

[In_25_words_or_less]

They haven't run out of Disney dogs yet. "Goofy" would be good. ;o)

[thoughtomator]

We should name it Leary, 'cause it's way out there.

[Focault's Pendulum]

They keep finding planets...I'm gonna run out of toes to keep track of them....I got one more to go...unless I could use the corn on my left foot....which should be classified as a planet anyway.

[JennysCool]

Sedna, I'm glad I medya.

[F16Fighter]

The 10th planet??

Great news! A geneology search can finally be done on Dennis Kucinich.

[Bogey78O]

Well

planet: any of the large bodies that revolve around the sun in the solar system

Looks like we need a defenite defenition of "large".

[DB]

It is about 1/6th the diameter of the earth.

That isn't exactly "small".

[SedVictaCatoni]

Uranus is the name of the Roman god of creation, called by the Greeks 'Cronus'. It's pronounced 'yur - ah - nus', much to the disappointment of thousands of third-graders, and it's a fine name for a planet.

Er, and 'Mohammed' is not a god in anyone's mythology.

[BulletBobCo]

Bump

[Physicist]

Crummy PC name.

At least it's easier to pronounce than "Quaoar".

[RightWhale]

It's no bigger than a good-sized moon. Hardly a planet except it is out on its own in the big bad world. Looks like we will find a lot of potentially useful objects in the Kuiper Belt. Stepping stones to the next star.