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.

[Tax-chick]

I use plastic needlepoint “canvas” and make them from a pattern.

[Covenantor]

[ThomasThomas]

http://pin.it/P0c69gq I thought you'd like this Board on Pinterest...

[ThomasThomas]

I’m on my ipad not sure m
Why link doesn’t work

[Tax-chick]

LOL!

[fanfan]

Canadians settled in 3 different directions. Up and sideways.

Merry Christmas everyone.

[ArGee]

Whelp, that’s it for me. Merry Christmas everyone and I’ll see you on Tuesday.

People can say what they want about this holiday, but there’s no reason to celebrate peace on earth unless you believe in something higher than humanity. Without a belief in God nobody has ever managed anything more than slightly less chaos. And the animal kingdom wouldn’t even know what you were talking about.

But the same God, not wanting to leave us in our sorry state, came to visit some 2000 years ago and changed the world.

Enjoy the celebration of His birth.

[Monkey Face]

Merry Christmas to you and yours, ArGee! May it be very blessed for you all.

[NicknamedBob]

Tiny Christmas

“Where do the bugs spend Christmas, Dad?
Where do they go when it’s cold?
What do they give each other, Daddy?”
Then she sat, and she waited to be told.

So I sat down beside her and held her hand,
And I told her the Truth about Things.
That all of the good bugs have a party,
Where they wait for what Santa Claus brings.

All the fireflies get fresh batteries,
That will last them until the next year,
The butterflies all get new fancy designs,
They so like to be stylish, My Dear!

The ants will get pants that have pockets,
They must carry so much special gear,
They can pack a few nibbles to munch on,
While they’re working so hard through the year!

The nice bees will each get a compass,
To help them as they fly about,
And they all get the tiniest radio,
That’s to give one another a shout!

For when a bee finds some flowers,
She doesn’t just keep them herself,
She calls on her friends, and they help her,
To put honey jars up on the shelf!

So what they are doing in Winter,
Or when it’s too cold or too wet?
They all sit around writing letters,
And they send them to Santa! You bet!

Up at the North Pole there’s a section,
For the notes that are tiny and faint,
But that’s where the bugs’ tiny letters,
Get the message across to a Saint!

Then Santa makes sure that they get things,
With the help of each reindeer’s hoof,
Every stop that he makes for a chimney,
They sprinkle out dust on the roof!

And that dust settles down where the bugs are,
And then magically finds its way,
To the right kind of insect that needs it,
And it fills the bug’s stocking that day!

In the Spring, when you see a bright butterfly,
Or a bee zooming off on its task,
Just remember the good get rewarded,
But it’s also important to ask!

NicknamedBob . . . . . . . December 25, 2005

[Tax-chick]

Merry Christmas, FRiends! Try to stay warm!

[Tax-chick]

Thank you, Bob. Very nice. Sally tried to get us to buy a pet scorpion today.

[moose07]

Have a good Christmas ArGee,
See you on the morrow...

[moose07]

That’s rather good that, Bob. :)

[NicknamedBob]

Thanks, Mister Moose. I stole your background stuff.

[Tax-chick]

Evening, Bob. Kathleen got tired of losing at Candy Land and went to watch “Charlie Brown Christmas” with the boys. Tom has gone out to see “Rogue One” and “Assassin’s Creed” with his friends.

[NicknamedBob]

I think I’m scheduled to see Rogue One on Sunday.

Yeah, I know; but if you think of it as sort of a Christmas present ...

[Monkey Face]

My son took me to see Rogue One today! It. Was pretty doggone good! When we came out of the theater there was lots of rain.

I’m homesick. And we’re having a thunder storm. Great. Just when I want to sleep.

[NicknamedBob]

Forget the homesick. In a few days you’ll wish you could have had more time to visit.

Keep a journal to prove that I speak truth.

[Tax-chick]

[moose07]

Good Morning and Merry Christmas, TC.

Whatever it is Kittie is sat upon, you’re not having it today.