[juzzza]

Scientists have discovered a new planet in our Solar System... and it has its own moon!

Reported at the BBC WEBSITE HERE (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4304048.stm)

Now think back to School, and all the lessons about planets... HOW DID WE MISS A GOD DAMN PLANET IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM!!! We know absolutely nothing about the universe.

I like the fact that the planet is called Xena and the moon, Gabrielle LOL... I bet Kirby is delighted with that one!

[Dawnstorm]

The astonishing find has reignited the debate about what properties an object has to possess in order to be classed as a planet.

In Xena's favour is its size.

And having a moon is unlikely to push this debate further forward, as possession of a satellite is no guide to a planet's importance.

Both Mercury and Venus are devoid of moons, whereas some asteroids are known to have smaller rocks moving around them.

It's either a terminological debate, or it's a case of needle-in-haystack. Don't know enough about astronomy to tell from that article.

I do hope they find life on it, though. :D

[blop]

Well, there's alot of debate noe as to whether Pluto is actually a planet and not just a kuiper belt object (essentially just a rock). Pluto has a moon and is only marginally smaller (200 miles of diameter) than this new 'planet'. What may well be the result of this discovery (as well of the daily discovery of more large kuiper belt objects) is that both these so called planets will be struck off the planets list.

The reason we didn't see it sooner is that it is snuggled in with billions of other rocks a similar distance away and that are roughly the same size.

[Paladin]

I dont think this was obviously missed. I remember back in school that there was a possible Planet "X", just outside of Pluto orbit, but I don't think we had the technology to confirm it.

But I agree with you that the media hasn't made a big deal about this.
I guess they are more concerned that Brittney Spears is selling her wedding bra to help the Katrina effort.

[Murrin]

It's a Large Kuiper Belt Object, and that's about as far as it need be classified. We throw around the word planet far too often for my liking - do you realise that there are at least three or four different rocks including this one (which isn't actually called Xena - the people studying it have given it the nickname, but the habit is to give them names from real mythology) out there that are being debated over at the minute?

[Unmarked Man]

It's all etymology. They're all just rocks of varying sizes. Trouble is, once you start finding a few dozen rocks bigger than Pluto that you didn't spot before because they're so far away, you end up either with eight planets (as has now been decided) or about thirty.

By the way, Xena was a nickname. It's officially called Dysnomia, I believe, after a minor Greek goddess.

[musick]

I'd say it wont be the last large k belt object found.

[Evil Agent]

Well, the official update is that there is no extra planet. And that Pluto itself is no longer a planet. We now have 8 planets, officiallly, according to the new agreed upon rules of what constitutes a planet.

It was either that, or bump it up to 12 planets (with the possibility of more and more).

[saintjon]

Now I'm kind of bummed out that we're losing planets.

[FicusFan]

Pluto will always be a planet, they will simply be out of touch. Its fine to set up any definition they want, but the reality is Pluto has been considered a planet, and should be grandfathered in.