I know that 2003 UB313 is larger in size than Pluto, but does it also share Plutos irratic, not quite circular orbit? I'm pretty certain it does, and I'm pretty certain it would then be considered a plutonian object / dwarf planet, but am I right? Thank you for your answers. ^_^
2006-08-24 08:39:45 · 10 answers · asked by Serafina Starstrider 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
2003 UB313 is a dwarf planet. Xena is not its official name yet. The term pluton used on the previous IAU proposal was dropped because the same term is already in use in Geology.
2003 UB313 is part of the Kuiper belt the same as Pluto.
Mike Brown, one of the discoverers, explains:
"The dwarf planet is the most distant object ever seen in orbit around the sun, even more distant than Sedna, the planetoid discovered almost 2 years ago. It is almost 10 billion miles from the sun and more than 3 times more distant than the next closest dwarf planet, Pluto and takes more than twice as long to orbit the sun as Pluto....
The orbit of the new dwarf planet is even more eccentric than that of Pluto. Pluto moves from 30 to 50 times the sun-earth distance over its 250 year orbit, while the new planet moves from 38 to 97 times the sun-earth distance over its 560 year orbit."
You can see a nice 3D image of the orbit in this website:
http://tinyurl.com/9to4c
2006-08-30 08:46:25 · answer #1 · answered by QuietFire 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe the definition of a planet was not changed as a result of Xena. Xena changed the definition of Pluto as a planet.
Pluto was hanging on by a thread because all the dwarfs that were found were smaller than Pluto so, it hung on because it could be separated by size. When Xena was discovered, it was in contention but like Pluto it missed on the 'clearing out it's orbit' test, just like Pluto. Xena is bigger than Pluto and since Xena wasn't going to get planet classification, Pluto had to be nudged out as well.
2006-08-25 09:04:51 · answer #2 · answered by Ken C. 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yup thats one reason why they made a new definition of what planets should be... if they consider pluto as a planet then Xena should also be a planet and other orbiting ice dwarfs beyond pluto... so they revised the meaning of planets and placed a new category for pluto and beyond... the dwarf planets i hope this makes sense! LOL
2006-08-24 09:00:09 · answer #3 · answered by Ron 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pluto, Xena (2003 UB313), Ceres, and about forty other objects that have been discovered within the last decade are all "dwarf planets".
2006-08-29 18:49:14 · answer #4 · answered by TrickMeNicely 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
UB313 has been given the same classification as Pluto and the asteroid Ceres - the are dwarf planets.
2006-08-24 08:46:31 · answer #5 · answered by oracleguru 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
2003 UB313 never did have planetary status, It was sloppy journalism to have called it the tenth planet when it was discovered, Newspapers don't award that status, the IAU does,
Pluto: Perihelion (nearest distance from the sun) = 29.658 AU, Aphelion (farthest distance from the sun) = 49.305 AU. Orbital period = 248.09 Earth Years.
2003 UB313: Perihelion (nearest distance from the sun) = 37.77 AU, Aphelion (farthest distance from the sun) = 97.56 AU. Orbital period = 557 Earth Years.
They are like two peas in a pod.
2006-08-24 09:02:08 · answer #6 · answered by bagatelle 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I dont know exactly, but I think like pluto, it has been demoted to an "Ice dwarf planet", and not an official planet.
2006-08-24 08:42:05 · answer #7 · answered by iam"A"godofsheep 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, "Xena" is now a dwarf planet.
2006-08-24 08:46:21 · answer #8 · answered by Tim H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
another dwarf planet.
2006-08-30 00:14:09 · answer #9 · answered by kemchan2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I think that is right, although I am not a professional astronomer.
2006-08-24 09:53:02 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋