Alexa

Astronomers have discovered an object bigger than Pluto, temporarily named 2003 UB313. This object could be the 10th planet.

The discovery re-opens an old issue among astronomers, the definition of a planet !

Some astronemers contest Pluto as a planet and the same astronomers believe the new object is in reality a Kuiper Belt object.

For details, please read the following article:

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050729_new_planet.html

N.B. As per Wikipedia: "A planet (from the Greek πλανήτης, planētēs which means "wanderer" or more forcefully "vagrant, tramp") is an object in orbit around a star that is not a star in its own right. Much like "continent," "planet" is a word without a precise definition, with history and culture playing as much of a role as geology and astrophysics"

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Percon

It poses the question; how big could our solar system be? It could stretch out further, there may be more rocks whizzing around in deep space. :biggrin:

PERCON

Alexa

Pluto is about 79 yards out from the Sun or 5,906,000,000 km (3,670,000,000 miles) on average in real distances. That's 39.5 AU (astronomical units). Really huge for us.

An AU is equal to 150,000,000 km and represents the average distance from the Sun to the Earth. It would take more than 20 years to fly that distance. Of course that's one-way ticket. (That's traveling at about 644 km per hour)

And our solar system is not the only one.

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Princess Ivy

i've seen this before, but i still don't know if they've named it.

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Princess Leia: I don't know who you are or where you've come from, but from now on you'll do as I say, okay?

Percon

I think they were going to name it after one of the Greek Gods/Goddesses.


PERCON

Princess Ivy

original :biggrin:

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Princess Leia: I don't know who you are or where you've come from, but from now on you'll do as I say, okay?

Alexa

hmm

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"Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true" (R.W. Emerson)

Alien

I am pretty sure this is not the last planet in our solar system. In the future, many such planets will be discovered.

Alexa

Yeap, and I would like to see by myself

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"Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true" (R.W. Emerson)