10th Planet Discovered, Bigger than Pluto

Astronomers have discovered an object in our solar system
that is larger than Pluto. They are calling it the 10th
planet, but already that claim is contested.

It is the first time an object so big has been found in our
solar system since the discovery of Pluto 75 years ago.

The announcement came just hours after another newfound
object, one slightly smaller than Pluto, was revealed. The new
object, temporarily named 2003 UB313, is about three times
as far from the Sun as is Pluto.

"It's definitely bigger than Pluto," Brown said.

For the full story, visit
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050729_new_planet.html

...or eight.

:shrug:

It might be small, but then so is Mercury, and Mercury doesn't even have a freaking moon! If this thing is larger, then I don't care if it's orbit is so elliptical that it goes half a light year away before swinging back. It's a goddamn planet!

:rant:

And I will fight until death for it!

:P

Keep ranting, though. :)

more appropriately considered a binary planet system rather than planet and satellite; Charon does not orbit pluto, they both orbit around a common center of gravity somewhere in between.

Uranus!!

Stupiter.

That's a good one. :-)

:rofl: Kleptune

thank you, thank you, I'm here till Friday. Try the veal!

everything is FREE!

Gravity is a "theory."



("Bars"! good one. kind of a double entawdry.)

You wait and see....

Astronomers have discovered an object in our solar system that is larger than Pluto. They are calling it the 10th planet, but already that claim is contested.

Actually, that was just me--I forgot to pull the shades. But I am going on a diet soon, I promise.

:P

Last I looked, gravity still works, regardless of which theory we use to explain it. :)

I'm not advocating a belief in astrology here, merely pointing out that the addition of new knowledge does not necessarily negate what we knew in the past.

But doesn't this monkey wrench the method practioners use in charting personalities, etc?

This probably won't either.

the other planets, so it would be incorporated as an influence on a particular facet of personal experience -- i.e., Mercury tends to rule communications, Mars rules motivation and competitiveness.

So this new planet will simply be determined to be the cause of an aspect of life not yet controlled by another planet, like, um, bad hair days and poor fashion choices.

Don't worry.

It would simply be new information that can be added to what we already have accumulated.

I would guess that most people on DU, when they think of astrology, think of the blurbs in their local newspaper, or maybe even of some outrageous stereotype like a costumed gypsy in a tent. :) But how many of you know that Johannes Kepler's first attempts to understand planetary orbits were based on the five sacred geometries of Pythagoras? Was he an idiot?

Modern science arose out of some very strange places and even stranger ideas. That most of those ideas have been replaced doesn't mean that they didn't have at least a grain of truth to them. If the Copenhagen School of quantum mechanics was correct in their theories--and all observable experiments have so far borne them out--then, as Schroedinger said, "The universe is not only stranger than we believe; it's stranger than we can believe." Entanglement, action-at-a-distance, multiply-dimensioned frequency strings, black holes, white holes, uncertainty; all of these modern theories of how the world works are so akin to magick that Einstein himself refused to accept many of them. Yet, they're now the foundation of our physics--and we're busy using them to create devices that are straight out of Star Trek. We've transported photons without moving them physically, and can create mechanically working copies of three-dimensional machines by means of laser-mounted holographic replicators. (I've personally seen examples of the latter; they are absolutely astounding.)

The oldest religions and philosophies in the world teach that the Universe is a single entity consisting of seemingly separate objects that are actually intrinsically interconnected, and not separate at all. The moon's gravitational field affects human moods and emotions; is it really such an undigestible leap to consider that maybe some of the other massive objects in our solar system could also have an influence on things? Or is it just easier to dismiss ideas we don't like, smugly contratulating ourselves on our "modernity" and "science"?

Carl Sagan once wrote that the problem with Velikovsky's theories of planetary disruption was not that he was wrong, but that other scientists refused to even consider what he had to say, instead dismissing him in a knee-jerk reaction of smug arrogance. We never know where the science of tomorrow is going to come from. (And certainly, modern astronomy is the daughter of ancient astrology.)

I have no idea how astrologers go about making their predictions. I don't know how much truth underlies their beliefs. I do know that my own natal charts--written by two different astrologers 40 years apart, neither of whom had ever met me before--are uncannily accurate in their description of my personality. Is there something to it? You don't have to think so. But I for one am willing to investigate such things, and to at least not summarily dismiss them just because they don't seem to fit into the modern concept of what the world is. Because, believe me, that concept is not going to hold forever. Someone in the future is going to turn it on its ear, just as researchers, philosophers and scientists have been doing for millennia.

It would fit on to a chart, and if its position can be determined, it
can be read.

The birth chart is a map of the exact position in "space" where you
were born. The earth moves on, spinning, and the galaxy moves on,
that the point of your birth is long washed in cold black space, yet
the astrology chart is a marker, a virtual placeholder, of that space.

As every space is unique, and no two the same, there are no identical
charts, and all astrology is specific to 1 individual, and not a wooly
truth for the masses.

"all astrology is specific to 1 individual, and not a wooly
truth for the masses."

It makes no repeatable predictions, then, since it's different for every individual. That certainly provides plenty of opportunities for people to make stuff up, since they can't really be proven wrong. Sounds like a good way to make some $$$ off the gullible!

Thanks for the tip!

remember, when astrology was first invented, there were only 5 other worlds known, plus the moonand sun. Earth wasn't even considered a 'planet"

astrologers will just add new associations to any new planets..just liek they did for Pluto. uranus and neptune.

Now all those banners and displays and textbooks are going to have to be reprinted.

Think of the children! Won't somebody please think of the children?!?! :cry:

don't need no stinking banners, displays & textbooks anyhow

would keep them out of our affairs

He looked up from his scope and announced
Some light has reflected and bounced
It's a planet I think
But that caused such a stink
And some were so quick to denounce.

There's nine of them that we can see
Rotating eternally
Just between friends
Is a spot on your lens
The cause of the planet you see?

How can you ask that of me?
A guy with a college degree
I've checked all the blogs
Even star-dated logs
Captain Kirk, Spock and Bones do agree!!

Bigger these days? Do we have to SUPERSIZE planets now to satisfy our pathetic egos?

I remember the days when planets could be small and few and men like Stephen Hawkings would arm wrestle you over the right to name a black hole..

How low we have sunk, how sad..

Nevermind all that, is it made of Cheese?

What kind?

Better yet.. does it have OIL?

the tenth planet is FLAT!


:scared:

:D