10th planet discovered

Peanut

"Astronomers at Palomar Observatory Discover a 10th Planet Beyond Pluto"
http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/

It's funny that this story was around for a while today but no major sites picked up on it that promptly, clearly it had followed on from the previous announcement about 2003 EL61 very quickly, I suppose the American team could live with someone stealing their thunder about that, but not on this one!

Also if you look in the URL you may get a hint as to what they propose calling it...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4730061.stm

Kevin_rc_ie

This is actually really exciting. I hope they relegate Pluto to the large planetoid status and give the new guy a place on the Planet team. 9 is a good number. 10 is too human and mathematical for the universe.

falteringstar

Would it not be 11th, I thought Sedna was a planet?

mike65

I'd be reluctant to describe any of those three planets, Pluto is a ball of ice with a daft orbit, Sedna is 3 times further away than Pluto, beyond the Kuiper Belt, now this one which is larger than Pluto but again with a very eliptical orbit but I suppose if the orbit is around the sun no matter in what fashion then its a planet.



Oh yes 2003 EL61 another "planet" with a moon was also offically announced yesterday.

Handy graphics here which show just how far out 2003 EL61 is at its furthest point.

Mike.

OFDM

falteringstar wrote:

Would it not be 11th, I thought Sedna was a planet?

Sedna got demoted to planetoid apparently.

StonedParadoX

whats the difference between planetoid? and stuff?

and how can a planet have a daft orbit

sorry for the questions i am interested but big huge texts blow my mind .. Summarys r0x0r my panties

thanks?

Peanut

chillywilly wrote:

afew ceturies ago this would be huge news...but no one gives a s**t anymore

they should name it peanut

lol.... I think they named it after a chocolate bar instead...


or maybe

kurisu

we should name the tenth planet rupert for douglas adams

Flukey

It is fascinating news. It is of interest to anyone interested in astronomy and it has made the general news too. With Discovery currently in orbit, it also adds to this being topical.

Capt'n Midnight

Staying on the purple theme instead of Lila, how about ...

EamonnKeane

whats the difference between planetoid? and stuff?

and how can a planet have a daft orbit

A planetoid is a rock that orbits the sun but isn't big enough to be considered a planet. (Pluto is only 1/10 the volume of Mercury.)

A daft orbit is one that is several degrees off the other planets' orbits: it goes too far "up" on one side and too far "down" on the other

JupiterKid

Given that Pluto's status as a planet has been pretty much in question now for over a decade, and the fact that astronomers have been finding increasing number of icy "planetoids" in the Kuiper Belt for much the same time, I think that we should be really careful about proclaiming the discovery of a 10th planet. If the newly discovered object was the size of, say, Neptune, there would be no arguement but this discovery is a blurred category in my opinion.

doonothing

would it not be a little bit late in the day and unecessary to reclassify pluto? its only difference is they'd be adding oid on the end. it would still be recognised by the majority of people.

is sedna definitely an 'oid now?

and this new one?