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It's another world ... but is it our 10th planet?
The Australian ^
| 3/15/04
| Louise Milligan
Posted on 03/14/2004 11:46:12 AM PST by 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.
TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 10; planet; planetx; sedna; xplanets
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To: Quix
I wonder whom Christ would be most inclined to shake HIS sandles off against? Well, if that's your measure, then I'd wager it would likely be the one that worked at leading people astray with various "doctrines of demons", to coin a phrase.
And now, to bring this thread back on topic (a fool's errand if ever one existed, I fear), IMO the breathless anouncement of the "new planet" is most likely an attempt to breath some life -- in the form of money -- into the budget of the telescope that "discovered" the "planet".
In other words, since Hubble is scheduled to lapse into orbital decay as soon as nature decides to grasp it, those impacted (to coin another phrase) by the event decided to "discover" one of the fifty gazillion rocks out yonder and give it a name, thus calling attention to the telescope, without which this "planet" would not have been "discovered."
Look for the press conference make a point of how dramatic this "news" is, how it's only the tip of the iceberg (or start of the journey, or whatever; the particular metaphor doesn't matter), and, how, alas, we'll never know what we're missing, what's "out there", etc., because the coldhearted brutes have decided to allow Hubble to fall to Earth.
Not that I object to keeping the telescope in orbit, mind you. As much a waste of the taxpayer's money as it was, the "investment" as it were has been made, so we may as well try to make the best of it, and spend the relatively minor amount necessary to keep it there.
But then, I shed a virtual tear every time I think of those banks of silicon photocells burning up when a Mir or Skylab or other machine falls to Earth, destroying solar arrays I'd never be able to afford in a jillion years (even though I'm bled dry to pay for the arrays in question via taxes).
It's sad that we've been reduced to having one wing of government engage in such dramatics -- aimed at The Meat -- in an effort to prevail against another wing of government. It reminds me of the days of yore, when various royals did battle with others, in order to have the most claim over the labors of the commoners.
Some things never change. I rather suspect the annoying Mr. Noise Talk was one of them. If you ever do recall what lead up to his provoking the management into delivering his just deserts, please do not hesitate to share it.
101
posted on
03/14/2004 11:08:07 PM PST
by
Don Joe
(We've traded the Rule of Law for the Law of Rule.)
To: FreedomCalls
Put "Io" in front of someone and ask then to pronounce it. Then you can laugh.
To: baseballfanjm
then=them
To: JudyB1938
I always get a chuckle out of the comedy spin you all use on the boards...
I'll agree tho, this one is extra funny...
Was the good humor man here earlier today?
I'll have a fudgecicle please
JAN
104
posted on
03/15/2004 1:59:46 AM PST
by
ZAKJAN
To: In_25_words_or_less
Is goofy a dog? It seems inconsistant that goofy can walk and talk like a person, while Pluto is much more 'straight acting' as it were.
To: Don Joe
I don't know . . . per se . . . which of CT's convictions would approach a doctrine of demons any more than I know which of yours would.
He has a number of seemingly novel ideas, perspectives etc. which are interesting. Some people would probably feel that you do. Both of you would assert, with vary-ing degrees of Scriptural support, that your perspectives had this or that quality of orthodoxy based on root word meanings or whatever.
All of that may be whatever degree of accurate or inaccurate.
I have learned over time, that spirit and/or attitude tend to be much better clues of joining with the heart of God than a lot of pontifications about a lot of doctrinal ideas or this's and thats as long as the basics of the faith are asserted as valid and central.
On that score, I still find your stance more lacking than his.
I have not known and do not care to bother about the reason(s) for his lack of further posting hereon. There are a variety of reasons possible. Not my call. And I still believe to some degree in charity toward all.
In terms of the Hubble, I probably agree fairly wholesale with you. And, given that it's there, the pretty odd picture is at times interesting and fun to have. Worth it is a whole 'nother issue.
106
posted on
03/15/2004 3:57:23 AM PST
by
Quix
(Choose this day whom U will serve: Shrillery & demonic goons or The King of Kings and Lord of Lords)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Here's a depiction of Sedna from Spitzer's site:
107
posted on
03/15/2004 10:15:00 AM PST
by
Brett66
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Not a planet, but then again neither is Pluto. Inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) are rocky, outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) are gaseous. Pluto and Sedna are outer, but rocky. And the former has a highly eccentric orbit which occasionally takes it well inside the orbit of the outermost legitimate planet, Neptune. Most un-planet-like. My guess is that Pluto and Senda are captured (by the Sun's gravity) Kuiper belt objects, and probably ice balls/comets.
To: DannyTN
Crash it into Mars. That would increase the mass of mars allowing Mars to retain more atmosphere. It would also provide more water
Not enough to fill a caterpillar's weinie.
All of the known asteroids combined have less mass than our Moon, which is about one per cent the mass of the Earth.
And yet, we have no means to move an object the size of Sedna, and barely any way to get a probe out there.
109
posted on
03/15/2004 10:32:21 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(George W. Bush will win reelection by a margin of at least ten per cent)
Here's a graphic from the Planetary Society, showing the quite hypothetical Oort Cloud, something claimed to be in orbit around the Sun but not running into itself despite the trillions of crossing orbits and billions of years in which to do it. It has also never been observed. It's just a deus ex machina (kludge) to try to get the nebular hypothesis of planetary system formation to work.
110
posted on
03/15/2004 10:44:36 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(George W. Bush will win reelection by a margin of at least ten per cent)
To: SunkenCiv
Doesn't Jupiter have an icy moon or two. Maybe we can borrow one of those too.
We can get a probe out there. The harder part is moving it. But I'm sure we can figure it out. Civilization isn't sunk yet.
111
posted on
03/15/2004 10:45:13 AM PST
by
DannyTN
To: Ole Okie
:') The Pluto probe has been off again on again for at least four years. Pretty soon launching it will be a waste of money, as the atmosphere of Pluto will have refrozen (provided it was ever there).
112
posted on
03/15/2004 10:48:10 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(George W. Bush will win reelection by a margin of at least ten per cent)
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
So we should have contact from the Annuaki anytime now, right?
113
posted on
03/15/2004 10:58:43 AM PST
by
xrp
To: Tumbleweed_Connection
How many "tenth planets" have they discovered in the past fifteen years, anyway? It seems like I've read this same story with a different name for the newly discovered chunk of ice every 2-3 years.
To: Quix
Is that the Dulce effect?
115
posted on
03/15/2004 11:14:28 AM PST
by
xrp
To: Destro
It should not be considered a terrestrial body i.e. "planet" Even Pluto is marginal. But these Kuiper objects will be very valuable some day whether we call them planets or planetoids or planetless moons. Sure is cold out there. Dark, too.
116
posted on
03/15/2004 11:15:46 AM PST
by
RightWhale
(Theorems link concepts; proofs establish links)
To: RightWhale
Sure is cold out there. Dark, too.Not if we heat it up with our LAZER BLASTERS and PHOTON TORPEDOES!
117
posted on
03/15/2004 11:26:01 AM PST
by
xrp
To: xrp
LOL--PERHAPS!
118
posted on
03/15/2004 12:44:59 PM PST
by
Quix
(Choose this day whom U will serve: Shrillery & demonic goons or The King of Kings and Lord of Lords)
To: Mr. K
There is entirely new apsect to consider. ROFL!
119
posted on
03/15/2004 4:00:25 PM PST
by
tob2
(Old Fossil and proud of it!)
To: Mr. K
Whatever the effect of Sedna, it doesn't change much.
120
posted on
03/15/2004 4:05:47 PM PST
by
RightWhale
(Theorems link concepts; proofs establish links)
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