Tuesday, November 29, 2011

A new verb is making its orbit: to pluto

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The phrase to pluto someone means “to downgrade, demote or remove altogether from a prestigious group or list, like what was done to the pl...
Friday, November 25, 2011

Official labeling scheme for newly discovered minor planets

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A newly discovered minor planet is named by a label (designation) that indicates the date of  its discoveries in relation to recently (durin...
Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Dysnomia, a moon of the Kuiper belt object Eris, named after the spirit of lawlessness

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Dysnomia is a moon of the Kuiper belt object ( KBO ) Eris . Dysnomia's discovery in 2005 significantly contributes to our understandi...
Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Acronym in astronomy: KBO for Kuiper belt object

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In astronomy, KBO stands for Kuiper belt object . A KBO is an icy object beyond the orbit of Neptune. The KBOs form a disc-shaped ring—name...
Monday, November 21, 2011

Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) named after creation deities

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By international agreement, trans-Neptunian objects ( TNOs ) are named after creation deities [1,2]. Quaoar (also known as 2002 LM60 ),...
Sunday, November 20, 2011

Acronym in astronomy: TNO for trans-Neptunian object

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Since the deomotion of Pluto to dwarf planet status, Neptune is the outermost planet of our solar system. A body orbiting the sun beyond Nep...
Saturday, November 19, 2011

Two Pluto moons discovered in June 2005 named Nix and Hydra by IAU

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The International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially named two small Pluto moons , discovered in June 2005, Nix (the inner of the two) an...