And then there were ten?

And then there were ten?
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/2/1/1

1 February 2006

Claims that our Solar System has a tenth planet have been supported by
new results from astronomers in Germany. Frank Bertoldi of the
University of Bonn and colleagues have found that "2003 UB313" -- an
icy object that was discovered last year lying beyond Nepture -- is
actually larger than Pluto itself. Although previous estimates
suggested that it was at least as big, Bertoldi's team have now
measured its size accurately and found that 2003 UB313 is 700 km larger
in diameter (Nature 439 563).

UB313 was discovered by Mike Brown and colleagues of the California
Institute of Technology in January 2005. It is one of a vast band of
small, icy bodies lying in the "Kuiper belt" beyond Neptune. Lying
almost twice as far from the Sun as the most distant point of Pluto's
orbit, it is the most distant known object in the solar system.

Astronomers initially suspected that UB313 was bigger than Pluto based
on measurements of the fraction of visible sunlight that it reflects
into space. The fraction is known as the "albedo" of the object. But
these measurements were tricky because UB313 is so far from Earth. They
also assumed that the body reflects light at optical wavelengths, like
Pluto does.

Bertoldi and colleagues have instead measured the thermal emission of
the object. Using a telescope operated by the Institute for Millimetre
Radio Astronomy in the Sierra Nevada mountains in southern Spain, they
measured the amount of heat radiated by UB313 at a wavelength of 1.2
mm, where the light reflected from the Sun is negligible.

The results, combined with optical measurements, reveal that UB313 is
about 3000 kilometres across. This is bigger than Pluto by 700 km and
also makes it the biggest solar system object to be found since Neptune
was discovered in 1846. "Since UB313 is decidedly larger than Pluto, it
is now increasingly hard to justify calling Pluto a planet if UB313 is
not also given this status," says Bertoldi.

"The discovery of a solar system object larger than Pluto is very
exciting," says team member Wilhelm Altenhoff of the Max Planck
Institute for Radio Astronomy, also in Bonn. "It tells us that Pluto,
which should properly also be counted to the Kuiper Belt, is not such
an unusual object."

The results also suggest that other "transneptunian planets" may be
lurking undiscovered in the far reaches of the Solar System. But
whether astronomers will accept UB313 as a planet is far from clear.

On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 18:17:32 GMT, Sam Wormley wrote:

And then there were ten?
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/2/1/1

1 February 2006

Claims that our Solar System has a tenth planet have been supported by
new results from astronomers in Germany.

My goodness, there certainly are a bunch of tenth planets!!!!!
I say they should all be listed in the "International Planet Registry,"
where the name of the new tenth planet will be recorded in book form and
stored in the U.S. Copyright Office.
)


--
Martin R. Howell
"The Astro Post"
www.theastropost.com

Martin R. Howell wrote:
On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 18:17:32 GMT, Sam Wormley wrote:


And then there were ten?
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/2/1/1

1 February 2006

Claims that our Solar System has a tenth planet have been supported by
new results from astronomers in Germany.


My goodness, there certainly are a bunch of tenth planets!!!!!
I say they should all be listed in the "International Planet Registry,"
where the name of the new tenth planet will be recorded in book form and
stored in the U.S. Copyright Office.
)



Hey Marty--want to start a web site taking money to mane a planet
after your loved ones? You could call it the "International Planet
Registry", and file you notebook with the Library of Congress! You
could file suit against anybody that claims you are a scam operation!
Big Bucks!

On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 19:34:46 GMT, Sam Wormley wrote:

Martin R. Howell wrote:
On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 18:17:32 GMT, Sam Wormley wrote:


And then there were ten?
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/2/1/1

1 February 2006

Claims that our Solar System has a tenth planet have been supported by
new results from astronomers in Germany.


My goodness, there certainly are a bunch of tenth planets!!!!!
I say they should all be listed in the "International Planet Registry,"
where the name of the new tenth planet will be recorded in book form and
stored in the U.S. Copyright Office.
)



Hey Marty--want to start a web site taking money to mane a planet
after your loved ones? You could call it the "International Planet
Registry", and file you notebook with the Library of Congress! You
could file suit against anybody that claims you are a scam operation!
Big Bucks!


Now you got me thinking ROTFLMAO


--
Martin R. Howell
"The Astro Post"
www.theastropost.com

Maybe I could sell 1ac plots of land on it? ;}


--

The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net
In Garden Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/ingarden
Blast Off Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/starlords




"Sam Wormley" wrote in message
news:q38Ef.739706$x96.41069@attbi_s72...
Martin R. Howell wrote:
On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 18:17:32 GMT, Sam Wormley wrote:


And then there were ten?
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/2/1/1

1 February 2006

Claims that our Solar System has a tenth planet have been supported by
new results from astronomers in Germany.


My goodness, there certainly are a bunch of tenth planets!!!!!
I say they should all be listed in the "International Planet Registry,"
where the name of the new tenth planet will be recorded in book form and
stored in the U.S. Copyright Office.
)



Hey Marty--want to start a web site taking money to mane a planet
after your loved ones? You could call it the "International Planet
Registry", and file you notebook with the Library of Congress! You
could file suit against anybody that claims you are a scam operation!
Big Bucks!

Sam Wormley wrote:
And then there were ten?
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/2/1/1

1 February 2006

Claims that our Solar System has a tenth planet have been supported by
new results from astronomers in Germany.

Though some seem to take the position that there are only 8

Phil Wheeler wrote:
Sam Wormley wrote:

And then there were ten?
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/2/1/1

1 February 2006

Claims that our Solar System has a tenth planet have been supported by
new results from astronomers in Germany.


Though some seem to take the position that there are only 8


What makes the most since to me is

o start with big debris disk out to tens of thousands of AU
o currently there are four rocky inner planets (formed from debris)
o currently a debris field of asteroids
o currently there are four gas giants (formed from debris)
o currently from 30 AU to perhaps 100,000 AU (Kuiper belt and Oort Cloud)
icy debris with many minor planets having forms and still forming.

"Sam Wormley" wrote in message
...
And then there were ten?
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/2/1/1

1 February 2006

Claims that our Solar System has a tenth planet have been supported by
new results from astronomers in Germany. Frank Bertoldi of the
University of Bonn and colleagues have found that "2003 UB313" -- an
icy object that was discovered last year lying beyond Nepture -- is
actually larger than Pluto itself. Although previous estimates
suggested that it was at least as big, Bertoldi's team have now
measured its size accurately and found that 2003 UB313 is 700 km larger
in diameter (Nature 439 563).

UB313 was discovered by Mike Brown and colleagues of the California
Institute of Technology in January 2005. It is one of a vast band of
small, icy bodies lying in the "Kuiper belt" beyond Neptune. Lying
almost twice as far from the Sun as the most distant point of Pluto's
orbit, it is the most distant known object in the solar system.

Astronomers initially suspected that UB313 was bigger than Pluto based
on measurements of the fraction of visible sunlight that it reflects
into space. The fraction is known as the "albedo" of the object. But
these measurements were tricky because UB313 is so far from Earth. They
also assumed that the body reflects light at optical wavelengths, like
Pluto does.

Bertoldi and colleagues have instead measured the thermal emission of
the object. Using a telescope operated by the Institute for Millimetre
Radio Astronomy in the Sierra Nevada mountains in southern Spain, they
measured the amount of heat radiated by UB313 at a wavelength of 1.2
mm, where the light reflected from the Sun is negligible.

The results, combined with optical measurements, reveal that UB313 is
about 3000 kilometres across. This is bigger than Pluto by 700 km and
also makes it the biggest solar system object to be found since Neptune
was discovered in 1846. "Since UB313 is decidedly larger than Pluto, it
is now increasingly hard to justify calling Pluto a planet if UB313 is
not also given this status," says Bertoldi.

"The discovery of a solar system object larger than Pluto is very
exciting," says team member Wilhelm Altenhoff of the Max Planck
Institute for Radio Astronomy, also in Bonn. "It tells us that Pluto,
which should properly also be counted to the Kuiper Belt, is not such
an unusual object."

The results also suggest that other "transneptunian planets" may be
lurking undiscovered in the far reaches of the Solar System. But
whether astronomers will accept UB313 as a planet is far from clear.



So Planet X is for real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, no -- I didn't say that!!!!!!!!!!!

Sam Wormley writes:

Lying
almost twice as far from the Sun as the most distant point of Pluto's
orbit, it is the most distant known object in the solar system.

At its present position (and positions change rather slowly out there)
2003 UB313 is located 97 AU from the sun, or more than three times
Pluto's present distance of 31 AU. Even so, it is accessible with
modest amateur equipment:
http://www.mysky.org/mysky/?article_...rticle=1:24744

pej
--
Per Erik Jorde

Oh Boy !

People claiming there are ten planets just because something is bigger than
Pluto.

When there is hot debate as to what IS a planet.

And what "planet" means.

For me, since I really like and admire Clyde Tombaugh, The Lord rest his soul,
and especially since I met him once, I want him to retain the distinction of
discovering the ninth planet. And because it makes it the first planet
discovered by an American (yes, that's one of my reasons). And he did it on his
own, without anyone else's help as far as taking the plates and developing them,
and then examining them. So I'm on the "Pluto is a planet" side.

And I'll live with making Pluto the smallest size for a planet, and let history
take care of itself.

Clear and Steady Nights !
--- Dave
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pinprick holes in a colorless sky
Let inspired figures of light pass by
The Mighty Light of ten thousand suns
Challenges infinity, and is soon gone




"Sam Wormley" wrote in message
...
And then there were ten?
http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/2/1/1

1 February 2006

Claims that our Solar System has a tenth planet have been supported by
new results from astronomers in Germany. Frank Bertoldi of the
University of Bonn and colleagues have found that "2003 UB313" -- an
icy object that was discovered last year lying beyond Nepture -- is
actually larger than Pluto itself. Although previous estimates
suggested that it was at least as big, Bertoldi's team have now
measured its size accurately and found that 2003 UB313 is 700 km larger
in diameter (Nature 439 563).

UB313 was discovered by Mike Brown and colleagues of the California
Institute of Technology in January 2005. It is one of a vast band of
small, icy bodies lying in the "Kuiper belt" beyond Neptune. Lying
almost twice as far from the Sun as the most distant point of Pluto's
orbit, it is the most distant known object in the solar system.

Astronomers initially suspected that UB313 was bigger than Pluto based
on measurements of the fraction of visible sunlight that it reflects
into space. The fraction is known as the "albedo" of the object. But
these measurements were tricky because UB313 is so far from Earth. They
also assumed that the body reflects light at optical wavelengths, like
Pluto does.

Bertoldi and colleagues have instead measured the thermal emission of
the object. Using a telescope operated by the Institute for Millimetre
Radio Astronomy in the Sierra Nevada mountains in southern Spain, they
measured the amount of heat radiated by UB313 at a wavelength of 1.2
mm, where the light reflected from the Sun is negligible.

The results, combined with optical measurements, reveal that UB313 is
about 3000 kilometres across. This is bigger than Pluto by 700 km and
also makes it the biggest solar system object to be found since Neptune
was discovered in 1846. "Since UB313 is decidedly larger than Pluto, it
is now increasingly hard to justify calling Pluto a planet if UB313 is
not also given this status," says Bertoldi.

"The discovery of a solar system object larger than Pluto is very
exciting," says team member Wilhelm Altenhoff of the Max Planck
Institute for Radio Astronomy, also in Bonn. "It tells us that Pluto,
which should properly also be counted to the Kuiper Belt, is not such
an unusual object."

The results also suggest that other "transneptunian planets" may be
lurking undiscovered in the far reaches of the Solar System. But
whether astronomers will accept UB313 as a planet is far from clear.