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So you're into sci fi? But what about sci fact? Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction... Each month our very own Voyager Science Queen* will bring you interesting, quirky and downright bizarre tid bits from the world of science. And its all completely, totally, 100% true! April Sci-Facts |
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Planet: a celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star. |
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The Tenth Planet |
| March saw the announcement of an amazing astronomical discovery: Sedna, the tenth planet of our solar system. Well, I’d call it a planet, but apparently astronomers will be arguing Sedna’s solar designation for the next few decades. Sedna was discovered last year by Mike Brown, of the California Institute of Technology; Chad Trujillo, of the Gemini Observatory on Hawaii; and David Rabinowitz, of Yale University.
Sedna is a frozen planetoid more than 12 billion kilometres from the sun, making it three times farther from the Earth than Pluto; Pluto was previously thought to be the furthest planet from the sun. And like Pluto, it is probably half rock and half ice, though it is only three-quarters the size of Pluto, with a diameter approximating between 1285 km and 1770 km; this is equivalent to half the size of our own Moon. Pluto is actually one half of a binary system, accompanied by its moon, Charon; Charon was discovered in 1978, and its diameter is more than half that of Pluto. Sedna appears to be a solo act, though it is theorised that it is part of the Oort Cloud. The Oort Cloud is a hypothesised sphere of rocky and icy bodies orbiting up to 1.5 light years from the sun, and is the possible source of comets; readers of Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series will be familiar with the term. If Sedna is part of the Oort Cloud, the cloud extends closer to the Sun than expected.
Sedna’s discoverers are also responsible for the discovery of Quaoar, in June 2002. Quaoar is the largest object found in the Kuiper Belt, and is about half the diameter of Pluto, or to put it another way, it is roughly the same size as Charon. The Kuipner Belt is a second asteroid belt, just outside the orbit of Neptune, and may another source of solar comets. Both Sedna and Quaoar are considered to be planetoids, rather than planets, because they are less massive than most of the other recognised bodies orbiting the Sun. Personally, I like the idea of another planet to explore. And I adore Sedna’s name, as apart from Venus and Earth, all the other planets are named after male gods or mythological figures.
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| *The Voyager Science Queen is also known as Lynne Green So, who is this woman who attempts to entertain us with Science? Well, I really am a scientist. I have a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Queensland, in Zoology. And, at the moment, I am working in a Pathology laboratory. I have always been intensely curious about every aspect of our universe, from the teeny tiny workings of the gene right up to the mind-bending forces that are twisting and knotting inside a blackhole. So, now I am sharing a brain stuffed full of trivia…and hopefully entertaining people at the same time. As well, I write Fantasy stories and novels. One day, I hope to have a book published, but don't hold your breath. Reading is my other major love, and my favourite authors are Terry Pratchett and Isaac Asimov, though I could list hundreds of others. If I had one wish, I ask for more time to write! Read previous Sci-Facts: Science News Updates Looking for more scientific oddities? Have you checked out Dr Steven Juan's website? He is, quite literally, the wizard of odds! |
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