New planet?!

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Majenta
Posts: 534
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:13 am

New planet?!

Post by Majenta »

being a bit of a geek I subscribe to the newscientist newsletter - got this the other day... pretty exciting!

"NewScientistSpace.com - NEWSFLASH

------------------------------------------------------------------------

New world may be double Pluto's size

Astronomical detectives have made a stunning discovery. Hiding in

plain view, the object may be the biggest orbiting in the outer

solar system.

The find suggests more such worlds are waiting to be discovered and

is likely to reignite the fierce debate about what constitutes a

planet.



Click on the link below for the full story on NewScientistSpace.com:

http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn7751"

Apparently it's got a funny shaped orbit which is one of the reasons they haven't spotted it before. Makes you realise how little we know about even our own little corner of the universe....
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Accountable
Posts: 24818
Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 8:33 am

New planet?!

Post by Accountable »

I hear the theme from 'Aladin' playing in the background.



But why the debate about what constitutes a planet? I didn't see the justification in the article.
Majenta
Posts: 534
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:13 am

New planet?!

Post by Majenta »

Hmm, good question, I don't know... :thinking:

guess it's something to do with the size or density...?

any astronomers out there willing to shed some light?!
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chonsigirl
Posts: 33633
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:28 am

New planet?!

Post by chonsigirl »

Here's the article from another site.........

Palomar found it!

Great observattory!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3511678.stm
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