Mitch writes
> By ANDREW BRIDGES
> .c The Associated Press
>
> LOS ANGELES (June 3) - Astronomers announced Monday they have
> discovered an icy body that rivals Pluto's moon in size and
> hints that other planets may lurk within the far reaches of
> our solar system.
snip
> Scientists say further probing of the Kuiper Belt could turn up
> more large objects, including bodies that may rival Pluto in
> size. The ninth planet is about 1,400 miles across.
>
> "The expectation has been for the last few years that we would
> find some objects of Pluto's size and perhaps larger than Pluto.
> The question now is when these objects will be picked up," said
> David Jewitt, a University of Hawaii professor...
I don't get it. I thought that Pluto's existence, like Neptune's,
had been deduced by pertubative effects on the other planets. But
if so, then why with our much greater precision of measurement,
and our immensely greater calculation resources, haven't all
bodies "of Pluto's size" and approximate distance been located
before this?
Lee Corbin
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Oct 12 2001 - 14:39:41 MDT