New Planet Found Is Larger Than Pluto

[Mr. Anderson]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/02/01/tenth.planet/index.html

More fuel for the fire in the planet debate. Makes me wonder if we won't find 100s of these things.

D

[jsw]

I think it's inevitable that we will find dozens, if not hundreds, of these. We already know of others similar in size to Pluto, and, given the vast distances, relatively small sizes, and hence the difficulty in finding them, I'm sure many more have yet to be found - this one's bigger than Pluto, and we just found it.

I'm all for being sentimental, but I think we should set the number of planets to eight, not nine, and group Pluto and these others into some other category, perhaps more than just "Kuiper Belt objects" but less than planets.

Either that, or have a URL to the current number of planets, which could grow often as more of these are found. "How many planets are there in the solar system, Susie?" "One second... I'm opening my browser... there are 14 of them, Teacher! No, wait, 15! Yes, 15! Er... I mean 16...."

[emw]

Haven't we talked about this one before? In any case, it will be interesting to see what name they give it.

And think of all the school books that could now need to be updated with this new information. Or, as jsw says, perhaps better to simply update it all electronically.

As far as not making them all planets - that's a tough one. First we need to define what a "planet" is - something that is yet to be done with any degree of objectivity, it seems. If we have a well-defined tolerance, say x miles in diameter with a regular orbit or something, then it would be a simple matter to include or not to include them. Right now, there is no such distinction.

[kretzy]

The orbits of these planets always fascinate me. I don't understand how it is possible for them to remain in orbit (generally in a very elliptical shape), when they are so far from the gravitational pull of the sun. :confused:

[miloblithe]

There's a bunch of competitors. It'll be interesting what the IAU decides (apparently this month?) about what the definition of a planet is. What amazes me is how similar the first five of these objects are. Fairly similar sizes and orbits. Sedna and Xena are pretty different. And obviously Ceres is (204 year-) old news and pretty much agreed that it's not a planet.

name (min dist to sun, max distance from sun, orbital period, diameter)

Pluto (29.7, 49.3, 248.1, 2306)
Orcus (30.9, 48.1, 247.9, est. 840-1880)
Santa (35.2, 51.5, 285.4, est. 1500)
Quaoar (41.9, 44.9, 286.0, est 989-1346)
Easter Bunny (38.7, 52.6, 308, est 1600-2000)
Xena (37.8, 97.6, 557, est 3000)
Sedna (76.2, 975, 12050, est 1180-1800)
Ceres (2.5, 2.8, 4.6, 950)

[Blue Velvet]

All the astrologers sure predicted this one.

[iPoster]

"dozens of planets and hundreds of moons"

Sounds like Firefly/Serenity might not be too wrong!
:D

[MacSA]

All the astrologers sure predicted this one.

They didnt predict the discovery of Pluto in 1930.........

....or Neptune for that matter in 1846......Or Uranus in 1781 lol.

[Les Kern]

More fuel for the fire in the planet debate. Makes me wonder if we won't find 100s of these things.


And therein lies the problem. It's not even as big as our moon. It's not a planet, and neither is Pluto. But Pluto is by a flaw in history. Why can't we say there are 9 planets, and all the rest planetoids?
This whole thing is silly.

[bousozoku]

All the astrologers sure predicted this one.

What about the astronomers?

I'm surprised we haven't seen a lot more in the solar system. Of course, how many more moons were discovered by a close up visit from a probe? Several, it seems.

[miloblithe]

The exciting thing about all this to me is that the reality is so much more complex and interesting than the simple model we all learned in elementary school. Nine planets sounds nice, most with however many moons, but the fact is there is a lot a fascinating variety. Obviously, Jupiter and Mercury have much less in common than do Mercury and most of the potential planets I listed above, yet both are "planets". I think we need some new terms here.

[fluidinclusion]

The orbits of these planets always fascinate me. I don't understand how it is possible for them to remain in orbit (generally in a very elliptical shape), when they are so far from the gravitational pull of the sun. :confused:

It just takes longer to get around the sun. THink about the Galaxy as a whole, the whole set of spiral arms is one system due to gravity, even at MUCH greater distances.

[whocares]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/02/01/tenth.planet/index.html

More fuel for the fire in the planet debate. Makes me wonder if we won't find 100s of these things.

D

Nooooooooo! I had a cool mnemotecnic method to remember the 9 planets (in French):

Mercredi Viendras-Tu Manger Avec Jean Sur Un Naperon Propre?
(Will you come and eat with John on Wednesday on a clean table-cloth? :p :p)

Mars, Venus, Earth (Terre), asteroird, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, & Pluto.

[Blue Velvet]

...In any case, it will be interesting to see what name they give it...


It's called Eris and has at least one satellite, called Dysnomia. Ceres seems to also be on the list of dwarf planets.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aWWmVdNPImDA&refer=us

[JNB]

Not only should Pluto be "demoted", but Jupiter as well. It's a gas ball, a star that didn't quite spark off. Hardly what I'd call a planet.

But that brings Saturn into some question, as well.

OK, so now we're at five, six if the IAU accepts the new one.

Or 42, if we look hard enough.

[GFLPraxis]

All the astrologers sure predicted this one.

Kind of off-topic, but...I don't get how astrologers can remain in business.

Athiests/evolutionists should think the concept is just plain silly.
Christians should know what the Bible says about astrologers.
Jewish people should have read the same things from the Old Testament.
Muslims IIRC have similar beliefs.

So who listens to/believes astrologers, if neither Athiests or Christians should? Especially in the U.S.? Confused people?

[Cassie]

Not only should Pluto be "demoted", but Jupiter as well. It's a gas ball, a star that didn't quite spark off. Hardly what I'd call a planet.

But that brings Saturn into some question, as well.

OK, so now we're at five, six if the IAU accepts the new one.

Or 42, if we look hard enough.

Of, course, Pluto has been demoted already. Good. Bastardly little punk always screwing with us...;)

[zap2]

So who listens to/believes astrologers, if neither Athiests or Christians should? Especially in the U.S.? Confused people?

Drunks at the boardwalk!

Duh ;)

[Tillisnut]

All objects out beyond Neptune are minor planets by definition. (at least for now) I thought I'd clearify a fact. However, this is a class of planet, so calling the new object a planet is not actually wrong. It confuses me a bit, since I'm not well versed in this area other than what I see on TV or read on the web. I'll stay tuned for further devlopments.

[pooky]

Kind of off-topic, but...I don't get how astrologers can remain in business.

Athiests/evolutionists should think the concept is just plain silly.
Christians should know what the Bible says about astrologers.
Jewish people should have read the same things from the Old Testament.
Muslims IIRC have similar beliefs.

So who listens to/believes astrologers, if neither Athiests or Christians should? Especially in the U.S.? Confused people?

Hippies. And not the nice, friendly, drum circle sort of hippies. Crystal toting new-age hippies. *Shudder*

[Jopling]

Would it ever be possible that there is a planet with the same orbital speed as Earth's and it travels in a a way that its always blocked by the sun? Just a random thought while reading this thread.

[obeygiant]

They should be able to name one of these new dwarf planets "goofy". :)

[nplima]

one day we may contact other more advanced civilizations, and they will tell us that what we call Earth is not a planet because there's too much methane in the atmosphere. According to widely accepted intergalactic standards Earth is a "Schmordbl" and not a planet.

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

They should be able to name one of these new dwarf planets "goofy". :)On that same note: I'm still very disappointed that the two micro moons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto#Nix_and_Hydra) discovered orbiting Pluto a couple of years ago wasn't called Chip and Dale... :(

[iBlue]

Would it ever be possible that there is a planet with the same orbital speed as Earth's and it travels in a a way that its always blocked by the sun? Just a random thought while reading this thread.
No. Think about that for a second. You realize earth is not the only vantage point, right? Orbiting Satellites would have found that. Other various objects/planets have blocked views in the distance but the sun blocking views of planets in our own solar system - I'm afraid that isn't possible.

[kcross]

god i hate zombie topics. you know, the ones that just wont die.

[2nyRiggz]

one day we may contact other more advanced civilizations, and they will tell us that what we call Earth is not a planet because there's too much methane in the atmosphere. According to widely accepted intergalactic standards Earth is a "Schmordbl" and not a planet.


Sounds fair to me....and then we'll bomb them.



Bless

[topicolo]

Sounds fair to me....and then we'll bomb them.



Bless

no no. You got it all wrong! We'll claim that they'll have intergalactic weapons of mass destruction (I-WMDs) and we'll be bombing in self defense. :D

[Jopling]

It would make for a good sci fi flick. An exact replica of earth that is 180 degrees on the other side where everything is identical.

[bartelby]

It would make for a good sci fi flick. An exact replica of earth that is 180 degrees on the other side where everything is identical.


Been done, more or less.

Film
Gerry Anderson's 1969 film Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, (also known as Doppelgänger), features a Counter-Earth which is identical to Earth in every respect except that left and right are reversed.

In the 1973 film The Stranger, the Counter-Earth (known as Terra by its inhabitants) is culturally and evolutionarily identical to Earth in nearly every respect, with the most obvious difference being the planet's three moons. However, it appears to have skewed significantly sometime in the last century or two. An astronaut from Earth crashes there, and discovers a strange dictatorship known as the Perfect Order. Other than the fact that everyone is left-handed, technology is about the same, although geared for such purposes as monitoring of the population to assure adherence to the Order.

In the tokusatsu kaiju film Gamera vs. Guiron, Gamera travels to a Counter-Earth known as Terra in order to save a pair of kidnapped children.

Warning from Space or Mysterious Satellite (宇宙人東京に現わる, Uchûjin Tokyo ni arawaru?, Spacemen Appear in Tokyo), a 1956 science fiction tokusatsu film produced by Daiei, depicted a planet-- "Planet 'R'"-- on a collision course with Earth. Warning from Space has one-eyed, starfish-shaped aliens from the planet Paira -- an Earth-like planet that shared the same orbit as Earth but on the opposite side of the Sun -- who take on human forms to warn the earth about the impending disaster.

in the 1951 movie When Worlds Collide the planet at the end of the movie that the survivors of the doomed earth go to is similar to the counter earth.