10th planet confirmed - > 1.5 times size of Pluto

NASA-Funded Scientists Discover Tenth Planet

A planet larger than Pluto has been discovered in the outlying regions of the solar system.

The planet was discovered using the Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory near San Diego, Calif. The discovery was announced today by planetary scientist Dr. Mike Brown of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., whose research is partly funded by NASA.

"It's definitely bigger than Pluto," said Brown, who is a professor of planetary astronomy.

Scientists can infer the size of a solar system object by its brightness, just as one can infer the size of a faraway light bulb if one knows its wattage. The reflectance of the planet is not yet known. Scientists can not yet tell how much light from the sun is reflected away, but the amount of light the planet reflects puts a lower limit on its size.

"Even if it reflected 100 percent of the light reaching it, it would still be as big as Pluto," says Brown. "I'd say it's probably one and a half times the size of Pluto, but we're not sure yet of the final size.

"We are 100 percent confident that this is the first object bigger than Pluto ever found in the outer solar system," Brown added.

In my mind our solar system has 8 planets.

I will have to see the 10th planet info like at least its orbit to declare it the 9th planet.

Originally posted by Murcielago
In my mind our solar system has 8 planets.

I will have to see the 10th planet info like at least its orbit to declare it the 9th planet.

So if you were on a game show and the question was "how many planets in the solar system" and a correct answer would win you $100000. what would you answer?

Could this be Nibiru? I bet them Anaki love the cold.

Cool! A new planet, historic moment! Why I want to be immortal, just to see what happens next! Forget the long life, I just don't want to miss out on anything cool, or tragic, or in some other way historic. I wish 9/11 hadn't happened, but I am glad I was alive to see it for it was a historic moment for America, just like the JFK Conspiracy and republicans being corrupt.(Watergate, Reagan, Bush Sr. and now Bush Jr.) All these things others will never have known due to dieing.

Or the moon landing, wish I had been alive to have seen it when it happened. Or the Gettysburg Address, or the birth of a nation that had defeated the mighty British Empire. All historic moments that some saw, but many didn't.

Edit: Cool, I just reached 70,000+ points!!!!!!

[edit on 29-7-2005 by James the Lesser]

James the Lesser,

I can't believe it! Somehow you've managed to turn a thread about a heavenly body into an anti-Bush rant!

You really are talented... :shk:

Originally posted by djohnsto77
James the Lesser,

I can't believe it! Somehow you've managed to turn a thread about a heavenly body into an anti-Bush rant!

You really are talented... :shk:

Couldn't agree more, I wich people would keep that crap contained in the politics forum.

Enter all the freaks screaming about Planet X. I bet they are absolutely wetting themselves over this announcement!

PLease add any thoughts to the original thread : New planet discovered? (Planet X?)

Closing...