The Tenth Planet
The discovery of 2003 UB313, the 10th planet
How did I miss this? A tenth planet, tentatively named “Xena,” was discovered back in July.
In reading this story , the official astronomical body in charge of such things has not yet determined it to be a planet:
The International Astronomical Union, which makes the decision on what is a planet, considers Xena a trans-Neptunian object, meaning its orbit crosses that of Neptune, just as Pluto’s does. Many astronomers, including Brown, question Pluto’s planetary status, too.
But Xena’s discovery, and its size, have prompted the union to rethink the definition of planet.
On the union’s Web site, it said: “The very rapid pace of discovery of bodies within the solar system over the last decade, and so our understanding of the Trans-Neptunian Region is therefore still evolving very rapidly. This is in serious contrast to the situation when Pluto was discovered.”
Maybe it isn’t a planet, but it does seem to be at least as large a Pluto.
Today’s headline was that Xena/2003 UB313 has its own moon, tentatively named Gabrielle.
If the Creationists had focused their bizarre wrath on heliocentrism instead of evolution, could you imagine what they would say, “Copernicism under siege! Keplerism in disarray! Newtonism crumbles! The Nine-Planet Orthodoxy proven wrong! So-called scientists, the ‘astro-Niners’ at loss to explain new planet. If they can’t count planets, how can they pretend to know what orbits what? Only an Intelligent Designer could have created 10 planets, one for each of our God-given fingers.”
Anyway, at the main link, check out the picture of the moving object. I found it, but it took me a minute or two to do so.
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