tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post6076573515052474487..comments2024-03-18T16:51:50.688-07:00Comments on A Different Perspective: New Dwarf PlanetKRandlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06333125414889883920noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-31008836755279882602008-10-13T11:31:00.000-07:002008-10-13T11:31:00.000-07:00All I can tell you is that what Discover said in N...All I can tell you is that what Discover said in November 2004. Yes, I realize that something that far away would be difficult to detect and that the Sun's gravitational hold would be weak... and I am surprised that the Alpha Centuri system hasn't grabbed it by now, but we are seeing things far beyond Pluto and some of them are extremely small. They've even seen the moons around a couple of these objects that are quite tiny.<BR/><BR/>So, yes, as long as the object is in orbit about the sun, it's part of the solar system. I'm waiting to see these things updated which is why I look for articles about them occasionally.KRandlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06333125414889883920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-49763529471280719052008-10-12T22:07:00.000-07:002008-10-12T22:07:00.000-07:00As CDA suggested, considering a Mars-size object 2...As CDA suggested, considering a Mars-size object 2 light years away to be part of the solar system is pretty wild. Such an object would have an orbital period of about 46 million years, & since the sun's gravitational hold is so weak out there, it could be easily ejected from the system by even a far encounter with another body of similar size.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, a planet at that distance would have to be at least 20x larger than Mars to even be detected by the largest telescope on Earth, much less have its size determined!JRobinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02607832947646270829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-6909728138718197922008-10-10T08:39:00.000-07:002008-10-10T08:39:00.000-07:00I am looking at Discover magazine for November 200...I am looking at Discover magazine for November 2004. They reported on objects beyond Pluto, the farest out they name is Senda at 486 AU... but they also report on "Planet X" about the size of Mars and "Planet Y" that they suggest is halfway to Alpha Centauri... but neither of which they have good astronomical data for.<BR/><BR/>They report on seven objects beyond Pluto that range in size from about 500 miles in diameter to about 1000 miles, which makes them all smaller than Pluto.<BR/><BR/>So yes, they are talking about objects halfway to the next star that are still part of the Solar System. If I remember correctly, astronomers have postulated a second Oort Cloud about about that far.<BR/><BR/>So, we are still at eight planets, five dwarf planets, but with a possibility of adding a ninth planet and about another dozen dwarf planets.KRandlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06333125414889883920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11558306.post-21477084233828225242008-10-10T04:32:00.000-07:002008-10-10T04:32:00.000-07:00Are you saying there is an object the size of Mars...Are you saying there is an object the size of Mars two light years from the sun, i.e. half way to Alpha Centauri? Do astronomers consider such an object to be part of the solar system? Stretching it more than a bit!cdahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01005702597775594084noreply@blogger.com