Actually, it is not newly discovered, but was in the 70's I believe.
2006-06-06 13:35:47 · 12 answers · asked by justbipolar 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It's current name is 2003 UB313. It is larger than Pluto.
But is not yet officially recognized as a 'planet'.
That may change later this year as the International Astronomical Union (IAU) firms up the definition of a planet.
At that point, it will probably be renamed. The discoverers of the object have submitted confidential names to the IAU. Some people call it Xena or Lila, but these are not official names, and are not among the names submitted to the IAU.
It is not 'Planet X' ... this is a generic name for a theoretical large planet not yet discovered. (Pluto was once thought to be 'Planet X', but it is too small.) The Planet X theory has been disproven.
Sedna is a smaller object (smaller than Pluto), and may also be reclassified as a planet ... but I don't think it's likely.
One thing is for sure though ... Pluto will not lose its classification as a planet ... astronomers are sentimental too.
2006-06-06 13:39:43 · answer #1 · answered by secretsauce 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Matter of fact it is a coincidence I was just at a restaurant and the new planet "NEBULON" or it may have been "Nebulous" was there on the kids menu! Interesting I saw this question because I knew nothing about it until this evening!!!
Maybe what I saw on the picture was not the planet you speak of (?) BUT IT WAS DEPICTED AS a planet located between Jupiter and Saturn on the Solar System map on the kids' menu..
2006-06-06 20:38:43 · answer #2 · answered by ouisy_01 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The object currently being referred to as the10th planet is designated 2003 UB313 based on its discovery date, but is informally referred to as Xena. It will eventually be assigned an official name, but that decision is apparently being delayed while the International Astronomical Union tries to define "planet".
I'm not sure what you heard about from the 70's. Got a reference?
2006-06-06 20:56:59 · answer #3 · answered by injanier 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its not a planet. its just a rock inside of an astoroid field, and it was just exponentally large. u no that for every star, that there is about 15 planets. pluto is just a big chunk of ice. if u stuck a heated probe on it, then it wud melt through pluto, and reach the icy center... only if it was hot as fuc. if it was in earths position, then it wud melt, and be floating water. there is also a moon of... jupitor i think, that is life stable, but its "supposodly" an ice rock like pluto. nasa is debating on whether or not to send a probe to it to check it out, and melt through the top, because they have a theory that their is an entire ocean below its icy surface, and they think that life may be inside of it(moon). there are plants that live in the bottom of the ocean where we had about maybe 30 seconds of footage b4 the thing cracked (ON EARTH) and we cud see little organisms sitting there and moving around. they live off carbon dioxide only. so there cud be life on that moon, but i highley doubt it.
2006-06-07 01:32:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Planet X
2006-06-06 20:43:41 · answer #5 · answered by ♥Francesca♥ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Xena, but I think that some moons of Jupiter and Saturn will be considered more a planet than this dead rock very far away.
2006-06-06 23:53:30 · answer #6 · answered by Lost. at. Sea. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, its not really a planet yet. It could be the ninth as well beuase Pluto might not even be a planet. I would research it is named Sedna
2006-06-06 20:39:07 · answer #7 · answered by abercrombie_lover101 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think they are calling it Planet X or Xena.http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/29jul_planetx.htm
2006-06-06 20:40:35 · answer #8 · answered by videogamer91193 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Quaoar" -- However, it is NOT a planet ... just a big rock in a whole ring of junk.
See the NASA link below for a good explanation (and it's brief)
-- Alan
2006-06-06 20:43:33 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
setting the debate aside, the guys who discovered it initially called it "Oceanus"
2006-06-06 21:48:36 · answer #10 · answered by sciguy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋