The Tenth Planet

Channel Hopper

Courtesy of the BBC

Astronomers have found a large world of ice and rock circling the Sun beyond the most distant planet, Pluto.
Preliminary observations suggest it may be up to 1,800 km across, making it the largest body other than a true planet to be discovered orbiting the Sun.

Designated 2004 DW, it was found on 17 February by an automated sky survey telescope in California.


Good to see that land based telescopes are still finding new stuff.

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wolsty

Is it big enough to exert any gravitaional effect on the outer planets?

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wolsty

waverider

I have a large rock of ice circling me CH it's the WIFE!

Channel Hopper

Then the universe is in equilibrium as I know of a certain 'Dragon'

Seriously to recognise anything at the distances in astronimical terms is outstanding - hats off to them

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Channel Hopper

Astronomers have named the latest discovery Sedna

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3511678.stm

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jimbo

Sounds great news CH......read about it on Ceefax early this morning. How would you gauge this discovery in the scale of things?

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Jimbo

Channel Hopper

Actually this tenth planet is a different one to the icy rock first mentioned

As for gauging the discovery, its a large lump of matter thats out of reach for us humans living a few million miles from the Sun, and so its little more than a passing interest.

Once the world gets its act together as a single entity, then worlds that can be manoevered into a position of use gives us the next stage, both for the expolitation of the minerals, and maybe another surface to look up at the stars.

Far more interesting is the fact that this 'planet' has been in records before, but only after the latest view allowed astonomers to check on the previous data for its orbit movements. The archives given to us by Hubble and land based radio telescopes should now be scoured for moving objects, at the least to check if anything is likely to make an impact on the Earth soon. From previous recorded data on meteor strikes, we are overdue for something to hit soon.

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jimbo

Apparently some observers are now saying that 'Sedna' is the fall out of debris when other planets were formed and should be assigned to a skip.

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Jimbo

Channel Hopper

Some people say that about the area I live in.

A lot of debris exists in the Solar System (most between Mars and Jupiter), and there are also an unknown amount of particles just outside the regions of Neptune. I wouldnt be a bit surprised if the last days of Hubble will be used to map the skies to create a better record of the objects that could conceivably break free and threaten this planet.

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Channel Hopper

http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/sedna/

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Channel Hopper

http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~jewitt/kb.html

for all news on Kuiper belt objects

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kalamar

hi
check this out,very interesting reading.

http://www.zetatalk.com/

Channel Hopper

Unfortunately, once Id checked the contents and seen the following

Nancy Lieder has suggested that a world-wide cataclysm may strike the Earth as early as the year 2003. The cause will be a planet, known to the ancients but as of yet undiscovered by modern man, which may pass very near the earth as part of its normal 3600 year orbit around the sun. zetatalk.com

Id sort of dismissed the rest of the site as being more akin to the US alien abduction / X file groups. Very little on the site is based on scientific discovery, more peoples interpretation by astrology or conspiracy.

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kalamar

I agree,much "old" stuff on Zetatalk BUT you didnt look around ,it does have up-to-date stuff too,I do not say its all true, just interesting ! and there is much scientific material on the site too. Just discard any info that dont meet your criteria.Remember the Ostrich (?) head in sand ? keep yer mind open. Nancy is a kook but there is more than Nancy Lieder on Zetatalk. See their IRC channel on saturdays too.

Channel Hopper

Quite

Had another look and Im even more inclined to dismiss the vast majority of the text and links

http://www.zetatalk.com/index/slowing.htm
http://www.zetatalk.com/index/zeta16.htm
http://www.zetatalk.com/index/orbits.htm

I do have an open mind (honest) but this site takes the biscuit for bending outright claptrap as government coverup.

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kalamar

oohh but what a thrill it would be if it WAS all true ! how many hours do you think Nancy or whoever spends doing that website ? whew she or whoever must live there. I guess its like all the rest (heavens gate remember?) they will pass and another will take its place.
But according to all the time frames they provide I think Planet X is really planet venus ,and we still dont know for sure what the results of venus passing will be since it has been a long time passing.
Some reputible sources state that venus has A "tail" that streches all the way to the earth and may have contributed to some disease outbreaks years ago. and may be draging a bunch of trash and space rocks with it. ho hum im going to go lay down.