[eclectic]

If Pluto is a planet, denying Sedna its planetary rights is gross injustice

[xJones]

Astronomers have struggled to explain such an extreme orbit, but many believe a star passing by the Sun about 4 billion years ago yanked the planetoid off its original, circular course.

Now, observations by the same team that discovered Sedna suggest the object has since led an uneventful life.

At least Sedna hasn't been yanked around for a while and enjoys an uneventful life now. I felt better about Sedna until I read:

He says Sedna, which is probably made up of an equal mixture of ice and rock, may be covered with a metre or so of hydrocarbon sludge.

I know it's George Bush's fault that Sedna is covered with about 3 ft of sludge, but that's life in this solar system.

[billybudd]

"You just get this big tangle of carbon and hydrogen bonds, which turns the surface dark like asphalt or tar,"

Great, a planet-size parking lot. Next step in the planet's evolution: Wal-Mart.

[Jabba the Nutt]

"...Sedna, which is probably made up of an equal mixture of ice and rock, may be covered with a metre or so of hydrocarbon sludge."

One yard thick, covering a planetoid with a what circumference. How many years worth of oil is that? No environmental concerns, off-planet harvesting, what's not to like?

[DoctorMichael]

Obscure, but Interesting Bump.

[Logophile]

The findings suggests the dark crust was baked-on by the Sun and has been untouched by other objects for millions of years.

Sounds like some of the stuff on the bottom of my oven.