'Tenth Planet' found to be a whopper

news@nature.com ^ | 1 February 2006 | Mark Peplow

[Darksheare]

Yes.
But it asserts that the star comes close to Earth, like between Jupiter and Mars close, and that isn't possible.
I'd assume it has a near constant orbit, if it is elliptical it'd only come possibly as close as the outer edge of the Kuiper belt.
The theory is based off the periodic bombardment of the inner solar system byy waves of debris.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

The theory is based off the periodic bombardment of the inner solar system byy waves of debris.

I recall reading that - it happens once every 26 million years or so.

[Revolting cat!]

[Darksheare]

Yes.
Some object or not yet understood process disturbs the oort cloud enough to fling stuff our way like Thors Hammer on meth.
Of course, we have no real idea what is out there really beyond Neptune, and we continually find things even closer in.
But it would be interesting to see what else we have out there.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Sure. So Cere's (roughly) spherical shape and a moon (if any are found) would help re-classify it as a planet.

Venus and Mercury are "classic" planets - so they can't be "undesignated" just because they have no moon.

Thus, it wouldn't make sense to Un-designate Pluto (which has a big moon and is spherical) just because another larger planet with a moon is found further out.

[inquest]

See, finding any sort of "moon" around Ceres would call for a wholesale "renaming" of several planet-like bodies - which allows Pluto to be kept, add Ceres, add Xena ... etc.

Actually there is an asteroid with a "moom" that was imaged by the Galileo probe on its way to Jupiter.

Basically, there is no scientific definition of a planet, because it's not a scientific term. The word is really just a holdover from astrology, which referred to celestial objects, including the moon and sun, that moved through the background constellations (or "houses", in their terminology). The principal of them was the sun - whichever constellation the sun was in when you were born is your "sign". But the other planets had their own special powers or whatever depending on their absolute and relative locations ("When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars" and all that).

[inquest]

That should be, "asteroid with a 'moon'". No, I don't know what a "moom" is.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Of course, we have no real idea what is out there really beyond Neptune, and we continually find things even closer in.
But it would be interesting to see what else we have out there.

I'll bet we don't know the half of it!!

[DesScorp]

Well the solution isn't to take Pluto's status as a planet away.....just go ahead and declare 10 a planet too. What's so fsking hard about that?

[Richard Kimball]

My grandmother, who was born in the 1800's reminded me of the temporary nature of much of what we scientifically "know." She mentioned a couple of times that most scientific discussions should end with "we think." One of the examples she gave me was that when she was in school, they were taught that there were seven planets. Back in the 1960's, she told me there were probably more planets than nine.

My grandmother was born in 1894 and died in the 1970's. She read about the Wright brother's flight when it was current news, and saw the first moon landing. Altogether, that was an incredible time to be alive.

[delacoert]

I too have heard the name Xena mentioned for UB313. Probably on the Discovery Channel, maybe on the news.

[null and void]

It's Hugh and Series...

[delacoert]

The little rock causing a galactic storm - It's been named after the warrior princess. But the only fighting involved with Xena is between scientists, bitterly divided as to whether she is our latest planet, or just a jumped-up asteroid.

[NicknamedBob]

Well, if a moon can be a moon, regardless of size, why shouldn't a planet be a planet, regardless of size?

What do you call something that orbits a moon? (A satellite?)

Pluto could still be in trouble, if evidence indicates it's a "rogue moon."

By the way, I heard today that they were making a satellite out of an old space-suit. It's supposed to be active on the HAM radio bands. They missed a bet if they didn't put a video camera in it.

[diamond6]

"Makes me wonder what else is lurking out there, and how large."


I instantly thought of God when I read your sentence.

[Darksheare]

Same here.

[Darksheare]

Yes, He would come to mind.
But one could say he isn't lurking out there, but is here due to omnipresence.
So that would be a bit of a head scratcher as to whether you would classify Him as being lurking out there or being here instead.

Of course, knowing He has a sense of humor as evidenced by the platypus and the pangolin, I wouldn't be surprised to find some truly strange celestial objects hanging out beyond the orbit of the Kuiper belt.
(Seriously, the pangolin looks like an ant eater with bad eczema. I can't see one without laughing.)

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Pluto could still be in trouble, if evidence indicates it's a "rogue moon."

It will be fine if it goes before the UN Security Council!!

[hookman]

So much for my horoscope!

[Darksheare]

LOL!

That just brought to mind the Weird Al song "Your Horoscope For Today".
(And once again proving I have way too much stuff moving in my head concurrently..)