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I read this on Slashdot a while ago, but now it seems official:

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005 ... lanetx.htm

I don't know why, but this is damn exciting. I mean, stuff that will mean a change to all the science books doesn't happen every day. We've lived in a 10 planet solar system all along...

Definitely cool.

I wonder what they are going to call it.

Its going to be a member of Roman or Greek mythology of the top tier - and using a name that doesn't start with a letter already in use.

Something not starting with a E, V, M, J, S, N, U or P.

Of course, they could just call it Persephone, and chalk that one as a tribute to all those that called the 10th planet that in various works of fiction.

Oh well... 9 or 10, who cares?

Sounds like a lot of guesswork going on for a planet so close. Planets in other solar systems have been detected before this one, I wonder why. Surely it's presence should have had gravitational consequences we should have noticed much sooner?

Anyway, the only thing that amazes me is that it's just been found now and not earlier. It's not as if it just popped up there, if it's there now it's been there all along.

It's really, really far away, really small and 45 degrees above the ecliptic, that's why no one's found it sooner...

OOooohhh... AAaaahhhh...

Actually they are still debating if Sedna is a planet and if so, it would actually make the 11th. And Sedna is MUUUUCH further out than this new discovery.

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_shm? ... rch=Search

My horiscope says a new friend will break me apart

Well, Sedna's aphelion is 942 AU, but it's approaching its perihelion of 76 AU, so at the moment it is closer to the Sun than the new object and will be for quite a while.

However, given Sedna's orbit, we were very lucky to be at the prime time to detect it. It begs the question "what's on it's way in closer that was way out before?" Maybe there's stuff even bigger than this new object.

Now, isn't the termination shock at about 100 AU? I don't know much about solar winds, but wouldn't that affect it's orbit in some way?

One other neat tidbit of astronomy that I learned yesterday was the existance of a couple "minor planets" in the asteroid belt that are so large they still maintain a spherical shape (Ex: Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, etc).

I wonder how many more they are going to find.

I would say, if it is orbiting the sun, then it meets 1 criteria for being a planet. The question is what are the other criteria and do these object meet them? If so, then they are planets - if not, they are asteriods.

Flatlander wrote:It's really, really far away, really small and 45 degrees above the ecliptic, that's why no one's found it sooner...

Actually I think it's suppose to be much much larger than pluto.

Tricord, you know as well as I do that the gravitic effects of an object reduces with the ratio of the inverse square of the distance - hence the very long distance means its effects on the rest of the solar system are essentially unmeasurable.

As far as being a 10th planet is concerned - that is a real controversy.

My personal feeling is that if it orbits the sun, and has enough mass that its own gravity has turned it into a spherical shape, then it's a planet. If an object orbits a planet it's a moon.

On the flip side, if its own gravity isn't great enough to form a sphere, then it should be called an asteroid.

It's funny isn't it - because if you take a look at everything within the boundaries of the Solar Wind, and ask "What is the solar system" then the answer surely, is nothing more than; "The Sun, Jupiter, and a bunch of other junk". Because, combined, the Sun and Jupiter make up 99% of the mass of the slar system.

Even considering differences in density and radius, wouldn't Saturn be a reasonable proportion of Jupiter's weight?

On the other hand, the sun could be 98% and Jupiter 1.5% for all I know.

Mobius wrote:Tricord, you know as well as I do that the gravitic effects of an object reduces with the ratio of the inverse square of the distance - hence the very long distance means its effects on the rest of the solar system are essentially unmeasurable.

What a faith in human perception. You realise that by acknowledging we don't even know all planets in our own solar system, we know jack ★■◆● about everything beyond?

That's why observation bores me. Reflection and prediction is much more interesting. That's just me though, to each his own.

There was some controversy several years back as to whether or not Pluto should even been referred to as a planet; the general consensus is to keep it classified as one for tradition's sake. Pluto, Sedna, and this new body are all members of the Kuiper belt, albeit much larger than your average Kuiper belt object. For anyone who doesn't know, the Kuiper belt is an area from about 30 to 50 AUs away from the Sun composed of planetoids made of ice and rock; they're pretty much leftovers from the formation of the solar system. Many short-period comets are Kuiper belt objects.

I'm very excited about the discovery of this new object, since studying it may help give us much greater insight into the solar system's formation and the behavior of Kuiper belt objects. As to whether or not it should be formally classified as a planet, the jury's still out for me. Some astronomers have said that, were Pluto discovered today, it would most likely not have been classified as a planet. In some sense, that's the correct judgment. The rocky inner planets and the gaseous outer planets all fit into two archetypes based on their distance from the Sun at the time of their formation. They were all formed by the combined attraction of many much smaller planetoids. (Even the gas giants have solid material at their cores; since they formed farther from the Sun, the ice present there in the early solar system allowed them to form much larger masses that then attracted hydrogen gas to them.) Pluto, however, is different; it's one of a number of leftover planetoids that never managed to form a full-fledged planet. That being said, Pluto's distinctively large size makes it unique and was most likely what earned it its planetary classification in the first place (that, and the fact that the knowledge of the Kuiper belt was virtually nonexistent at the time of its discovery). Both because of this, and because of tradition, I think that Pluto should stay classified as a planet; since this new object is most likely larger than Pluto, its status as a planet seems almost guaranteed. I guess it's up to the International Astronomical Union to make the final call. I just hope they choose a good name.

Does this mean we should get 3-5 more levels in Descent 1 single player? I demand they make a 10th planet expansion pack!

Krom wrote:Does this mean we should get 3-5 more levels in Descent 1 single player? I demand they make a 10th planet expansion pack!

Dude! Right on!

Hahah.... yeah....

Edit: On a more serious note, a community-based 10th planet 'expansion pack' could be done...

they're going to name it Planet Justin ... after me

Krom wrote:Does this mean we should get 3-5 more levels in Descent 1 single player? I demand they make a 10th planet expansion pack!

Bwhaha, awesome, Nate.

Krom wrote:Does this mean we should get 3-5 more levels in Descent 1 single player? I demand they make a 10th planet expansion pack!

score!

Krom you are the master of on-topic (DBB) conversation

Capm wrote:I would say, if it is orbiting the sun, then it meets 1 criteria for being a planet. The question is what are the other criteria and do these object meet them? If so, then they are planets - if not, they are asteriods.

The general definition... which is quite general is (as taken from space.about.com) "A planet is a spherical ball of rock and/or gas that orbits a star." This is quite general.. but what leaves out asteroids and comets is that they do not orbit the sun in normal paths like Earth for instance, but were caught by its gravity and usually just slingshot around it and shoot off into space again. This is just my two cents, from what I have learned in an Astronomy class I took.... I'm no expert at Astronomy, maybe someone else here is.
This new find orbits the sun just like the other known planets, therefore I believe it is a planet, and in my opinion I think it will end up officially being the 10th known planet in our solar system.

Most comets do orbit the sun; they just have a very large and highly elliptical orbit. But they do eventually come back (Halley's Comet is a good example).

Asteroids follow the same principle, although they often have more regular orbits; there are a lot of them that stay in the inner Solar System.

Tricord wrote: It's not as if it just popped up there, if it's there now it's been there all along.

It could be some sort of dark evil planet that just formed and is going to hurl it self at us to destroy us.

and I watch too many movies

It should be called Wesley.

Yes, it should.

'Course, I'm saying that because it's my name, not from any technical standpoint or anything...

Looks like this has been known for a while now.

http://science.slashdot.org/science/05/ ... 172&tid=14

Why is this considered cool?

will we ever go there

Dedman wrote:Why is this considered cool?

Because it redefines a basic piece of elementary school common knowledge?

Topher wrote:

Dedman wrote:Why is this considered cool?

Because it redefines a basic piece of elementary school common knowledge?

The field of science does that every day. I am still not clear on why it is cool.

you must not think scientific discovery is cool then

Dedman wrote:

Topher wrote:

Dedman wrote:Why is this considered cool?

Because it redefines a basic piece of elementary school common knowledge?

The field of science does that every day. I am still not clear on why it is cool.

Yes, of course it does. Every day. I remember 5th grade man, it was like BAM! Fourth primary color found! Pentagons now have six points! Nucleus actually has third particle made of Gobstoppers!!

It was awesome.

lol topher

Topher wrote:Yes, of course it does. Every day. I remember 5th grade man, it was like BAM! Fourth primary color found! Pentagons now have six points! Nucleus actually has third particle made of Gobstoppers!!

It was awesome.

Hahaha!

Topher wrote:Yes, of course it does. Every day. I remember 5th grade man, it was like BAM! Fourth primary color found! Pentagons now have six points! Nucleus actually has third particle made of Gobstoppers!!

It was awesome.

Don't forget buckyballs made of flubber.