what is it? they should know by now.
2007-05-29 07:18:20 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
There are two objects that were both hailed by the media and indeed by NASA as the tenth planet when they were discovered (which was while Pluto was still regarded as a planet).
One was 2003 UB 313 which was given the temporary nickname Xena by its discoverer Mike Brown. The other was Sedna (named after an Innuit Goddess) also discovered by Mike Brown and his team.
Both orbit beyond Pluto i.e. beyond the Kuiper Belt. 2003 UB 313 is a little bigger than Pluto in diameter and Sedna about two-thirds of Pluto's size,
However it is not up to the media or to NASA or to Mike Brown to award planetary status to any object, but the International Astronomical Union.
As is well known by now at Prague in August 2006 the IAU chose not to promote 2003 UB 313 to planetary status but created instead a new category of dwarf planet, and placed 3 objects in it: Pluto, Ceres the largest asteroid (in the asteroid belt) and 2003 UB 313, now renamed Eris.
So the short answer is that Planet X got an official name Eris (and its moon got given the name Dysnomia) last September.
Sedna Quauor and another dozen or so objects, including Charon, Pluto's largest moon, are being considered for dwarf planet status by the IAU, pending investigation of their shapes and sizes. A future IAU Congress will discuss the matter. Watch this space!
2007-05-29 08:38:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may be confused by the news of the discovery of a planet in another star system 20 light years away. It is not in our solar system, so it cannot be numbered as if it were one of the planets in our solar system. You should also know that there are many other planets that have been discovered recently, but, again, they are not in our solar system, and so are not numbered with our solar system's planets.
2007-05-29 07:43:32 · answer #2 · answered by Renaissance Man 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wake UP! 8 planets, pluto and Xena are declared dwarf planets
2007-05-29 07:27:42 · answer #3 · answered by Crash 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It has been officially named Eris. Eris' size resulted in its discoverers and NASA labeling it the solar system's tenth planet. However, there is debate as to what defines a planet and things could change.
2007-05-29 09:27:42 · answer #4 · answered by Joline 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no 10th planet -- since Pluto was downgraded to "dawrf planet" status, there are now EIGHT planets in our solar system.
2007-05-29 07:44:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a DWARF planet, but it is called Xena.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres(dwarf), Juptier, Saturn, Uranus, Neptuns, Pluto(dwarf), Xena(dwarf)
2007-05-29 07:23:44 · answer #6 · answered by Crazygirl ♥ aka GT 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no 10th planet and there is no 9th planet.
2007-05-29 07:23:49 · answer #7 · answered by Gene 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I thing that is Qua oar if this object is really a planet since Pluto has been suppressed.
2007-05-29 08:16:20 · answer #8 · answered by françois xavier S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋