New Discovery in Outer Solar System

[Einion Yrth]

ESO has announced a "Discovery in Outer Solar System".

I don't know whats the matter, but for all who are interested, there is a press conference:

ESO said:

An international team of astronomers, led by Felipe Braga-Ribas (Observatório Nacional/MCTI, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), has used telescopes at seven locations in South America, including the 1.54-metre Danish and TRAPPIST telescopes at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile, to make a surprise discovery in the outer Solar System.
This unexpected result raises several unanswered questions and is expected to provoke much debate. A press conference will be held in Brazil to present the new results and allow opportunities for questions.
Note that all information regarding these findings is under strict embargo until 19:00 CET (15:00 BRT) on Wednesday 26 March 2014.

Linky

[Moonhawk]

Interesting - likely to be another dwarf planet along the lines of Pluto, although it would be interesting if it turned out to be a larger planet - or even something new like a brown dwarf or even a black hole.

Edited by Moonhawk on Wednesday 26th March 15:03

[Eric Mc]

Planet X?

Or even better - a black hole

[Moonhawk]

Eric Mc said:

Planet X?

Or even better - a black hole

A black hole on our doorstep would be very interesting indeed - especially if it was within reach of a space probe.

[jesta1865]

it would explain where all the chuffing socks go when you wash them

[im]

My monies on this...



Oh

[TheEnd]

My money would be on a largish chunk of rock.

[Sheets Tabuer]

My guess is probably another dwarf planet or they have detected something with water or an atmosphere.

[im]

Sheets Tabuer said:

My guess is probably another dwarf planet or they have detected something with water or an atmosphere.

Certainly to cold for Water

Probably to small for an atmosphere

[Moonhawk]

Yep - new dwarf planet ~450km in diameter, so about half the size of Pluto or around the same size as Ceres.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-2673...

[keslake]

I bet Nancy Lieder was getting excited and ready to claim it was Planet x / Nibiru.

That woman has to be the biggest fruitcake in the history of the internet.

[hornet]

Furthest point in the orbit is 67 billion km! If I have things right, isn't that knocking on for 2/3 of a light year? Interesting piece in the Economist about how this, Sedna and others are in the wrong place according to our best theories about the formation of the Solar System and the Oort Cloud, suggesting something else was involved at some point in their history. Shame so much of this gets hijacked by the Nibiru fruitloops, as the genuine science is far more interesting than any madcap alien conspiracy theory could be. The mere fact we can even find these things boggles the mind.

On that note, anyone have any links for good websites for a scientifically literate yet non-science person to follow this stuff on? Keep feeling I should read more about the topic, but there's so much nonsense to wade through.