Discovery of solar system's 10th planet, larger than pluto

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8760309/
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/0...net/index.html

Astronomers have discovered an object in our solar system that is larger than Pluto. They are calling it the 10th planet, but already that claim is contested.

Backyard astronomers with large telescopes, some experience and a map [http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/...+Starry+Night] may be able to spot 2003 UB313.

If you happen to be one of these people with a large telescope lying around in your backyard and know how to read the map do tell us your experience.

Question: Should it be the 10th planet?

I have the map, some experience.... but a small telescope (70mm).

Another one???...Call me when they get it right, or make up their minds...lol

Not sure. Data inconclusive, try again later

But does anyone else find it a little disturbing that something we've held true for all or most of our lives (that we're one of 9 planets and the sun) is being found not to be the whole story? I'm naive, sure, but I would've had confidence that scientists could tell us what's in our own solar system by now

Hmmmm... maybe there's another earth on the other side of the sun that we can't see... maybe that's where all those people who get abducted out of trailor parks go

Pluto is always questioned about being a "true" planet. Meaning that since its circle around the sun is different then the rest of the planets, some say that if it had been discovered some time later it would be considered an astroid. So is this "10th planet" really be considered a planet or another astroid circling the sun at a far distance? Interesting theroy.

Sooz, you are gonna have to brace yourself, there is so much that we don't know about the univerise and finding a possible 10th planet is just the beginning.

I think anything to do with space is so interesting. I can't wait until space travel is a common thing, probably not in my life time, but maybe a couple more life times

Originally Posted by Sooz123

Not sure. Data inconclusive, try again later

But does anyone else find it a little disturbing that something we've held true for all or most of our lives (that we're one of 9 planets and the sun) is being found not to be the whole story? I'm naive, sure, but I would've had confidence that scientists could tell us what's in our own solar system by now

Hmmmm... maybe there's another earth on the other side of the sun that we can't see... maybe that's where all those people who get abducted out of trailor parks go

Click to expand...

Well, the planets do travel AROUND the sun, so if there were, we would probably see it (and wave as we went by)

Haha just read the articles and it talks about what I just posted about Pluto.

I actually believe there is another solar system, because frankly we cant be the only living things or the only solar system.

2 questions...
1-- what does contested mean?
2-- wasnt this the "planet X" they found a few years ago?

Originally Posted by fwan

I actually believe there is another solar system, because frankly we cant be the only living things or the only solar system.

Click to expand...

Well, there are a number "solar" or planetary systems that have been discovered recently. Or to be precise the planets in the system have been spotted since it more difficult to spot the planets than the star/sun itself.

Contested: As mentioned in the above posts, there is a debate over the definition of a planet, specifically whether is Pluto considered a planet.

Planets: There have been a number of minor planets that were discovered in recent years but none were larger than pluto. And each discovery of an additional minor planet adds to the debate of Pluto itself.

So this discovery basically is the discovery the largest object in our solar system since the discovery of Pluto.

With the billions and billions of stars in the entire universe, there has to be a chance that there is some kind of life on other planets. Perhaps not like our own, but life nonetheless.

On one of the moons of Jupitur there is water. And as Jupiter can be classes as a "failed" star then there could have been life on that moon as it would circle its "star" therefore making it a planet with life.

The tenth planet has been identified as my ex wife's girdle.

Leonard.

Originally Posted by winwin

The tenth planet has been identified as my ex wife's girdle.

Leonard.

Click to expand...

I don't get it.

Perhaps something about her weight?!

Cool, another planet

As far as I recall, this tenth "planet" was announced back in 2003 as being a Kuiper belt object (Ice and rock a bit like a meteor) although it is bigger than Pluto. Considering Pluto was discovered in 1979, I'd say that technology has advanced a fair bit, (jsut a hunch, mind) and that they can't make up their minds suggests that it's too far away to make out. In which case, I'd say stick with the Kuiper belt object decision. I think people are maybe a bit desperate to make the solar system bigger than it is... why make the mistake and get it wrong until we know for definite? Congras to them for finding it, but perhaps "planet" is a little bit of an ambitious title to give it.

I have a crazy theory that every zabillion or so years the sun spits out a new formation of a planet. What we see in our solar system is actually the steps of planets being born and dying out. In the two planets in front of us the process begins, and then wehave earth which is deveolped... in time we will get pushed back like mars and become like mars, once populated with life but now a lifeless ball of mass. The planet in front of us will make the new "earth" and as the planets get pushed further back they go into different stages of dissolving, which include dying out (mars), exploding (saturn), the turning of the planet into gases as a result of the explosion (jupiter) and then the gasses compress a bit and become water like (uranus I believe is next??) and then the axis starts to shift and it turns into more of a water like world (neptune) which eventualy freezes off and turns into a tiny lifeless ball of mass (pluto)

Might have got the stuff in the wrong order but you kind of get the point. Crudely, it could be attributed to giant snail poo. As it slithers on it drops a little present here and there, the flies settle on it, then it dries up and decomposes, until finally you haev a string of "planets" going out behind the slug in an obvious line of decay. Something like that anyway eh? Well thats what I believe anyways. And that would explain why people believe the sun has gotten smaller also. Once the sun cannot expell any more planets it will slowly start to die until its magnetism is no more an dthe dead planets will be flung out into the universe, to crash into other dead (or alive) planets, and break up into asteroids. They might actually go fly into other suns and become fuel also. When enough asteroids fly into the sun it will have enough energy to expell another planet and therefore will not die out until its energy has been expired from lack of "fuel"

Strange theory but I believe in it.

Hrmn... I have to say that is an interesting theory... but not one I agree with. Plaets were formed by the collection of particles on the journey through space - as this little ball of particles grows, so does it's gravitational pull and the effect of the gravitational pull of the sun. So theroetically speaking, the planets are constantly being pulled closer towards the sun. What wholds them in their orbits is the gravitational pull of the planets behind them as well. There is an interlocking gravitational effect between sun and planets. Take for example, assuming there was a direct conjunction of all the planets, earth... it is being pulled towards the sun, however, it also has the pull of the moon, and mars behinds it. Most likely there will be a pull from Venus and Jupiter as well. It would depend largely on which planet was closest to the earth in their various orbits. Sun pulls on planets, planets pull on sun. Sun will eventually win out.... hence the state of mercury. We have developed simply because we are at the correct distance from the sun to be able to sustain life. Water, etc. Mars would also have been at that point aeons ago, but there are dozens of explanations as to why it isn't now. This is the theory I belive.

However, I will agree, as I said before, that that is a really interesting theory - assuming that there is very occasionally a solar flare that brings up material from the sun's incredibly dense core - because, being a star, the rest of it is mostly burning gas. I'd give the theory the plausibility, because although we have solar flares, there's nothing to say that this kind of things isn't possible. But I reckon we'll have to be around a long time to see if it's right huh? Everyone needs soemthing to believe in NObody's lived that long as far as I know of... though I reckon my granny could be getting pretty close