Moon orbits third largest dwarf planet in our solar system

The combined power of three space observatories, including NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, has helped astronomers uncover a moon orbiting the third largest dwarf planet, catalogued as 2007 OR10. The pair resides in the frigid outskirts of our solar system called the Kuiper Belt, a realm of icy debris left over from our solar system's formation 4.6 billion years ago.

This adds to a growing list of Kuiper belt object known to have companions.

The astronomers spotted the moon in two separate Hubble observations spaced a year apart. The images show that the moon is gravitationally bound to 2007 OR10 because it moves with the dwarf planet, as seen against a background of stars. However, the two observations did not provide enough information for the astronomers to determine an orbit. "Ironically, because we don't know the orbit, the link between the satellite and the slow rotation rate is unclear," Stansberry said.

The hope is this knowledge will allow scientists to better understand the formation of our own Earth-Moon system. And, in doing so, shed more light into the makeup of the early solar system.

Cool stuff.



Moon orbits third largest dwarf planet in our solar system

Nice here's an image to help things along:



p.s. Ever Krakatoa on a coffee table?

a reply to: BigBrotherDarkness

Once, photos of Jovian satellites used to look like that.

This is coll news by itself, but what's more interesting is that the existence of this moon points to a "busier" time in the outer Solar System, when, perhaps, the bits and bobs floating around there were perturbed by some massive body: www.nasa.gov...

The objects most likely slammed into each other more often because they inhabited a crowded region. “There must have been a fairly high density of objects, and some of them were massive bodies that were perturbing the orbits of smaller bodies," said team member John Stansberry of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. "This gravitational stirring may have nudged the bodies out of their orbits and increased their relative velocities, which may have resulted in collisions."

Planet Nine, anyone?

a reply to: Krakatoa

Kuiper Belt, a realm of icy debris left over from our solar system's formation 4.6 billion years ago.

Better:

Objects in the Kuiper Belt are presumed to be remnants from the formation of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago.

Just imagine the Kuiper belt was unknown until 1992.
solarsystem.nasa.gov...

a reply to: SeaWorthy

Well, we should have more direct data once the Horizon's probe reaches the K-belt. If it makes it that far safely, that is... :/

originally posted by: wildespace
This is coll news by itself, but what's more interesting is that the existence of this moon points to a "busier" time in the outer Solar System, when, perhaps, the bits and bobs floating around there were perturbed by some massive body: www.nasa.gov...

The objects most likely slammed into each other more often because they inhabited a crowded region. “There must have been a fairly high density of objects, and some of them were massive bodies that were perturbing the orbits of smaller bodies," said team member John Stansberry of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. "This gravitational stirring may have nudged the bodies out of their orbits and increased their relative velocities, which may have resulted in collisions."

Planet Nine, anyone?

What I think is interesting is how there are way more planets than 9 but the classification business of Pluto debate sort of draws the line on SIZE of planets.

I guess replacing textbooks with every new discovery sort of stacks the deck against Pluto and the other ones. But what is the actual planet total now in this solar system? Something like 17 including those Pluto size or smaller...