astronomy stuff

Ignoring the whole tempest in a tea pot over what makes something a planet or not, here is some interesting astronomy news hot off the presses.
Planet bigger than pluto found.

And it looks like its no Mickey Mouse thing either.

*ducks*

More astronomy news

There were actually *three* Kuiper Belt Objects (KBO's) announced yesterday.

Anyone with a good definition of "planet" please contact the IAU, we really need one.

1. 2003 UB313 @ 97 AU
Twice as big as Pluto (diameter)
Orbit inclined at 44 degrees
Period 557 years
Very bright object, Magnitude 18.9
Discoverer: Brown

2. 2005 EL61 @ 51 AU
0.70 as big as Pluto (diameter) but ELONGATED
0.32 the mass of Pluto
Orbit inclined at 28 degrees
Period 285 years
Also bright object, Mag 17.5
"seen" in 12" scope by amateurs
within hours of announcement
Has a moon 1% of primary mass in 49-day orbit
Discoverer: Ortiz; Moon discovered by Brown
who had also discovered the primary
but did not announce first

3. 2005 FY9 @ 52 AU
"less than" the diameter of Pluto but not by too much
Orbit inclined at 29 degrees
Period 308 years
Also pretty bright for a KBO
Discoverer: Brown

A funny thing happened on the way to Wolf Trap

Acutally on the way home from. I had lawn tickets for the NSO version of "Wizard of Oz" with a few friends, and I had a wonderful time (thanks for organizing it lionessindc!) and on the usual mob scene of cars in line for the exits, I was walking to my car, and I was walking past a Prius. Knowing several people who have succumed to the Cult of Prius, I started mentally wondering what the odds were that I knew the driver. I had just decided the odds were about 1 in 4000 or so when I passed the drivers side window, and noticed that it was achaosofkittens. Cute the next chorus of "Its a small world".