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The Dwarf Planet Orcus
universetoday.com ^ | Matt Williams

Posted on 08/29/2015 5:18:21 PM PDT by BenLurkin

Orcus was discovered on February 17th, 2004, by Michael Brown of Caltech, Chad Trujillo of the Gemini Observatory, and David Rabinowitz of Yale University. Although discovered using images that were taken in 2004, prerecovery images of Orcus have been identified going back as far as November 8th, 1951.

In accordance with the IAU’s astronomical conventions, objects with a similar size and orbit to that of Pluto are to be named after underworld deities. Therefore, the discovery team suggested the name Orcus, after the Etruscan god of the underworld and the equivalent of the Roman god Pluto.

estimates of Orcus’ diameter and mass have varied over time. In 2008, observations made using the Spitzer Space Telescope in the far infrared placed its diameter at 958.4 ± 22.9 km. Subsequent observations made in 2013 using the Herschel Space Telescope at submillimeter wavelengths led to similar estimates....

...

Orcus has a very long orbital period, taking 245.18 years (89552 days) to complete a single rotation around the Sun. It also is in a 2:3 orbital resonance with Neptune and is above the ecliptic during perihelion. In addition, it’s orbit has a similar inclination and eccentricity as Pluto’s – 20.573° to the ecliptic, and 0.227, respectively.

In short, Orcus orbits the Sun at a distance of 30.27 AU (4.53 billion km) at perihelion and 48.07 AU (7.19 billion km) at aphelion. However, Pluto and Orcus are oriented differently. For one, Orcus is at aphelion when Pluto is at perihelion (and vice versa), and the aphelion of Orcus’s orbit points in nearly the opposite direction from Pluto’s. Hence why Orcus is often referred to as the “anti-Pluto”.

(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy
KEYWORDS: dwarfplanet; orcus; planets; xplanets

1 posted on 08/29/2015 5:18:21 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

Its period is slightly shorter than Pluto’s, which is 247.68 years. Neptune’s period is 164.79 years.


2 posted on 08/29/2015 5:31:45 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: Verginius Rufus

Is this about Oprah?


3 posted on 08/29/2015 5:35:23 PM PDT by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: BenLurkin
All you need to know

Ooops. Wrong Orcus. . .

4 posted on 08/29/2015 5:38:58 PM PDT by Salgak (Peace Through Superior Firepower. . . .)
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To: BenLurkin

Can we still say “dwarf” in Obammie’s Amerika?


5 posted on 08/29/2015 5:39:58 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Cecil the Lion says, Stop the Slaughter of the Baby Humans!!!)
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To: left that other site

Nah, you’re thinking about dark matter.


6 posted on 08/29/2015 6:38:05 PM PDT by beethovenfan (Islam is a cancer on civilization.)
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To: beethovenfan

Are you Hawking that theory again?


7 posted on 08/29/2015 6:41:58 PM PDT by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: beethovenfan

BTW, I am a Beethoven fan too! :-)


8 posted on 08/29/2015 6:51:49 PM PDT by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: BenLurkin; KevinDavis; annie laurie; Knitting A Conundrum; Viking2002; Ernest_at_the_Beach; ...
Thanks BenLurkin.
 
X-Planets
· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·
Google news searches: exoplanet · exosolar · extrasolar ·

9 posted on 08/29/2015 8:08:32 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FMjcpIg1H6k


10 posted on 08/29/2015 10:19:43 PM PDT by aquila48
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To: Salgak

We really need a like button.. that what i thought of to!


11 posted on 08/30/2015 11:52:34 AM PDT by Mmogamer (I refudiate the lamestream media, leftists and their prevaricutions.)
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