Astronomers discover giant Kuiper Belt object
Posted: Tue, Oct 8, 2002, 7:50 AM ET (1150 GMT)
Two Caltech astronomers announced Monday that they have discovered the largest Kuiper Belt object found to date, an icy body half the size of the planet Pluto. The object, officially designated 2002 LM60 but unofficially named Quaoar, was discovered in mid-2002 using a telescope at Palomar Observatory. Those observations, as well as older images, showed that the object was in a distant, near-circular orbit 6.5 billion kilometers from the Sun. Later Hubble Space Telescope observations showed that Quaoar is 1,300 km in diameter, larger than any other KBO discovered to date and more than half the diameter of Pluto, 2,300 km across. Caltech astronomers Mike Brown and Chad Trujillo speculate that other, larger KBO objects have yet to be discovered, raising questions about Pluto's status as a planet. Quaoar is named after a creation god of the Tongva tribe of native Americans who once lived in the Los Angeles area.
Two Caltech astronomers announced Monday that they have discovered the largest Kuiper Belt object found to date, an icy body half the size of the planet Pluto. The object, officially designated 2002 LM60 but unofficially named Quaoar, was discovered in mid-2002 using a telescope at Palomar Observatory. Those observations, as well as older images, showed that the object was in a distant, near-circular orbit 6.5 billion kilometers from the Sun. Later Hubble Space Telescope observations showed that Quaoar is 1,300 km in diameter, larger than any other KBO discovered to date and more than half the diameter of Pluto, 2,300 km across. Caltech astronomers Mike Brown and Chad Trujillo speculate that other, larger KBO objects have yet to be discovered, raising questions about Pluto's status as a planet. Quaoar is named after a creation god of the Tongva tribe of native Americans who once lived in the Los Angeles area.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Report outlines cost growth in canceled NASA exploration programs
Posted: Sat, Jun 27 11:14 AM ET (1514 GMT) Perseverance Mars rover finds more potential biosignatures
Posted: Sat, Jun 27 11:12 AM ET (1512 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, July 2
President Meloni receives ESA astronaut Parmitano
Government of Italy — 3:05 am ET (0705 GMT) China-Europe Earth observation cooperation moves toward greater complementarity: ESA official
Xinhua — 3:04 am ET (0704 GMT) Launch Date Confirmed for Seven GRUS-3 Earth Observation Microsatellites
Axelspace — 3:03 am ET (0703 GMT) Blue Origin Doubles Down On Return To Flight This Year
Aviation Week — 3:00 am ET (0700 GMT) The SpaceX IPO tells one story. Here is the more important one.
Space News — 2:58 am ET (0658 GMT) |
