September 13, 2006

Pluto Demotion Update - Xena Erased

IAU Numbers Pluto as an Asteroid, Renames Xena and Gabrielle

"Following the Aug. 24 resolution by the IAU to the effect that the solar system contains eight "planets" .. the Minor Planet Center included Pluto and 2003 UB313 (along with two other new potential dwarf-planet candidates) in the standard catalogue of numbered objects with well-determined orbits as (134340) and (136199), respectively (see MPC 57525). Following near-unanimous acceptance by both the Committee on Small-Body Nomenclature and the Working Group on Planetary-System Nomenclature (in consultation with the discovery team), the IAU Executive Committee has now approved the names Eris for (136199) and Dysnomia for its satellite (136199) Eris I [formerly S/2005 (2003 UB313) 1; cf. IAUC 8610]."


Posted by kcowing at September 13, 2006 10:53 PM

COPYRIGHT: Unless otherwise specified, all formatting, imagery, link collections, and HTML coding contained within this website © copyright 1996 - 2008. All Rights Reserved Re-use of graphics, text, or HTML formatting for commercial or private use is strictly prohibited without prior written permission.

Copyright

This website does not have any connection whatsoever with, endorsement by, or authorization from, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration nor does any product or service being offered or made available to the public have the authorization, support, sponsorship, or endorsement of, or the development, use, or manufacture by or on behalf of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.