New Dwarf Planet Discovered Far Beyond Pluto's Orbit

space.com ^ | 07/11/2016

[BenLurkin]

Pluto isn't quite as lonely as scientists had thought.

Astronomers have discovered another dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt, the ring of icy objects beyond Neptune. But this newfound world, dubbed 2015 RR245, is much more distant than Pluto, orbiting the sun once every 700 Earth years, scientists said. (Pluto completes one lap around the sun every 248 Earth years.)

"The icy worlds beyond Neptune trace how the giant planets formed and then moved out from the sun," discovery team member Michele Bannister, of the University of Victoria in British Columbia, said in a statement. "They let us piece together the history of our solar system."

...

The exact size of 2015 RR245 is not yet known, but the researchers think it's about 435 miles (700 kilometers) wide. Pluto is the largest resident of the Kuiper Belt, with a diameter of 1,474 miles (2,371 km).

The research team first spotted 2015 RR245 in February of this year, while poring over images that the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii took in September 2015 as part of the ongoing Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS).

"There it was on the screen — this dot of light moving so slowly that it had to be at least twice as far as Neptune from the sun," Bannister said.

[ArGee]

Wait, which time continuum is that?

The best way to figure it out is by current events.

The one I’ve been in is the one where President Carter III just dissolved Congress.

[Tax-chick]

Oh, dear. At least Mr. Spock brought you safely back.

[ArGee]

I took Vlad and Frank for a preamble around Lake Park...

Is that where you recite, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union..." while you walk?

[Tax-chick]

Autocorrect strikes.

Good idea, though. Mostly I said, “Stop whining, Frank. I told you this was what we would do. You could have stayed home.”

[ArGee]

That depends

If this is the one where Emperor Hitler is working to quell an uprising in South Africa then I’m good.

If this is the one where the Republican Party nominated Donald Trump then I’m in trouble.

Fortunately, I think I’ve managed to slip that circus for good.

[ArGee]

I remember dose days.

[Tax-chick]

Frank just whined, “If you let me what a television show, I’ll stop whining about it.”

[Tax-chick]

Watch.

[Darksheare]

“You must entertain CATZ for fifteen minutes.”

[Tax-chick]

I pretty much always give the catz what they want.

[ArGee]

My wife used to have amazing patience at ignoring whining and telling the kids, “Sorry, my ears can’t hear a whiny voice.”

[Darksheare]

My fluffball was vastly amused by sitting on me and watching birds outside.

[Tax-chick]

I usually say, “Oh, shut up,” or words to that effect. I’m sure it’s doing intolerable harm to the snowflakes’ little psyches, but I figure whatever my mother did was a good idea.

[Tax-chick]

We usually go outside in the morning and watch birds with the cats.

[Darksheare]

She doesn’t go outside, she likes sitting on my pillow with her nose in the air.

[Tax-chick]

A declaration of ownership.

[NoCmpromiz]

They have ways to make you obey...

[Monkey Face]

Wow...turn my back and the thread races pell mell for oblivion. Or the next W00t!

[ArGee]

It's dangerous to turn your back on the undead thread.

[Monkey Face]

So very true!!!