RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

2010-01-26 Thread Martin Baxter

I'm gonna have to start writing space-based fiction again, just to use some of 
the stuff that popping out of the woodwork.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik




To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
From: hellomahog...@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:54:09 -0800
Subject: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?


















 



  



  
  
  
Pluto's Little Sister Found?When it comes to objects in the Kuiper Belt, the 
vast, icy ring that encircles our solar system, size matters.






 
By Irene Klotz | Mon Jan 25, 2010 01:49 PM ET













The
smallest object ever found in the Kuiper Belt, a vast, icy ring that
encircles our solar system, helps to explain how these debris disks are
formed.

NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)







THE GIST:

An icy body one-third of a mile wide is the smallest known object ever found in 
the Kuiper Belt.The Kuiper Belt is a vast, icy ring just beyond Neptune that 
encircles the solar system.
The discovery links solar system formation to planet-forming debris disks 
around other stars.







The frozen worlds orbiting beyond Neptune include not only dwarf planets like 
Pluto and Ceres, but also a tiny, icy toehold just one-third of a mile wide.



The discovery, made by a team of astronomers scouring Hubble Space Telescope
observations, sets a new record for the smallest Kuiper Belt object
found. Previously, the smallest known Pluto sibling was a 30-mile-wide
Kuiper Belt object.


The Kuiper Belt region, located about 4.6 billion miles away, is
filled with objects believed to be left over from the solar system's
formation. It is similar to the asteroid belt, located between Mars and 
Jupiter, but much bigger. Unlike the asteroids that contain rock and metals, 
Kuiper Belt objects have icy bodies of methane, ammonia, water and other 
volatiles.



The Kuiper Belt is particularly interesting to scientists looking for planetary 
systems beyond our solar system. Planets are believed to form from collapsing 
disks of gas and dust orbiting stars.



"The dusty particles begin to stick together and eventually build up
larger objects. Not all make it into planets. It's the leftover ones
are what we're seeing when we look at Kuiper Belt objects and
asteroids," University of Arizona astronomer John Stansberry told
Discovery News.


The finding of a very small Kuiper Belt object links our solar
system's debris disk to those observed around other stars, added
University of Toronto's Hilke Schlichting, who led the team that made
the discovery.


"We can observe micron-sized particles (in extrasolar debris disks),
which are thought to be induced by collisions, from grinding down
larger objects," Schlichting told Discovery News. "By finding this
evidence for collision grinding in the Kuiper Belt, it seems to be the
missing link between our Kuiper Belt and extrasolar debris disks."


When it comes to Kuiper Belt objects, size matters. Scientists can
use this information to determine an object's density and what it is
made from. In larger bodies, gravity plays the dominant role in shaping
objects. In smaller ones, it is the strength of its materials that
matters.






WATCH VIDEO: Astrophysicist Andy Puckett explores the universe,
especially undiscovered asteroids that could one day smack into our
planet.





Related Links:




Taking the Kuiper Belt CensusWide Angle: Asteroids
HowStuffWorks.com: Kuiper BeltPluto, Sponsored By McDonalds 
 





"The discovery of just one small object is probably not going to
lead to great advances. But if we started to discover statistically
significant numbers of them, then we can compare the number of large
and small bodies, and you can start to get a handle on the material
strength of the objects. It also might tell you about the violence of
the collisions," said Stansberry.


"Potentially, it might be a new field if we can make more discoveries like 
this," he added.


Schlichting and colleagues combed through 4.5 years of Hubble data
to find the tiny Kuiper Belt Object, discovered as it passed in front
of a background star, momentarily dimming its light.


"These tiny objects are much rarer than you would expect," Schlichting told 
Discovery News.


Based on the number of known objects in the Kuiper Belt, scientists
would have expected to find between 30 and 100 tiny bodies in their
analysis of 50,000 guide stars observed by Hubble.


So far, the team has only looked at 30 percent of the available Hubble data.


"We only found one," Schlichting said. "It shows that there's kind
of a break in the size of objects in the Kuiper Belt from large
objects, meaning bigger 

Re: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

2010-01-26 Thread Keith Johnson
Interesting. A personal observation not related to the science of this article: 
the usage of the term "size does matter" is getting a bit old, isn't it? I hear 
it in all kinds of movie/TV stuff, home improvement shows, now even 
astronomical press coverage? Ugh. 


- Original Message - 
From: "Mr. Worf"  
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 12:54:09 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found? 






Pluto's Little Sister Found? 
When it comes to objects in the Kuiper Belt, the vast, icy ring that encircles 
our solar system, size matters. 


By Irene Klotz | Mon Jan 25, 2010 01:49 PM ET 


Pluto's Little Sister Found?

The smallest object ever found in the Kuiper Belt, a vast, icy ring that 
encircles our solar system, helps to explain how these debris disks are formed. 
NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI) 



THE GIST: 

• An icy body one-third of a mile wide is the smallest known object ever 
found in the Kuiper Belt. 
• The Kuiper Belt is a vast, icy ring just beyond Neptune that encircles 
the solar system. 
• The discovery links solar system formation to planet-forming debris disks 
around other stars. 





The frozen worlds orbiting beyond Neptune include not only dwarf planets like 
Pluto and Ceres, but also a tiny, icy toehold just one-third of a mile wide. 

The discovery, made by a team of astronomers scouring Hubble Space Telescope 
observations, sets a new record for the smallest Kuiper Belt object found. 
Previously, the smallest known Pluto sibling was a 30-mile-wide Kuiper Belt 
object. 

The Kuiper Belt region, located about 4.6 billion miles away, is filled with 
objects believed to be left over from the solar system's formation. It is 
similar to the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, but much 
bigger. Unlike the asteroids that contain rock and metals, Kuiper Belt objects 
have icy bodies of methane, ammonia, water and other volatiles. 

The Kuiper Belt is particularly interesting to scientists looking for planetary 
systems beyond our solar system . Planets are believed to form from collapsing 
disks of gas and dust orbiting stars. 

"The dusty particles begin to stick together and eventually build up larger 
objects. Not all make it into planets. It's the leftover ones are what we're 
seeing when we look at Kuiper Belt objects and asteroids," University of 
Arizona astronomer John Stansberry told Discovery News. 

The finding of a very small Kuiper Belt object links our solar system's debris 
disk to those observed around other stars, added University of Toronto's Hilke 
Schlichting, who led the team that made the discovery. 

"We can observe micron-sized particles (in extrasolar debris disks), which are 
thought to be induced by collisions, from grinding down larger objects," 
Schlichting told Discovery News. "By finding this evidence for collision 
grinding in the Kuiper Belt, it seems to be the missing link between our Kuiper 
Belt and extrasolar debris disks." 

When it comes to Kuiper Belt objects, size matters. Scientists can use this 
information to determine an object's density and what it is made from. In 
larger bodies, gravity plays the dominant role in shaping objects. In smaller 
ones, it is the strength of its materials that matters. 
astrophysicist asteroid
WATCH VIDEO: Astrophysicist Andy Puckett explores the universe, especially 
undiscovered asteroids that could one day smack into our planet. 

Related Links: 



• Taking the Kuiper Belt Census 
• Wide Angle: Asteroids 
• HowStuffWorks.com: Kuiper Belt 
• Pluto, Sponsored By McDonalds 





"The discovery of just one small object is probably not going to lead to great 
advances. But if we started to discover statistically significant numbers of 
them, then we can compare the number of large and small bodies, and you can 
start to get a handle on the material strength of the objects. It also might 
tell you about the violence of the collisions," said Stansberry. 

"Potentially, it might be a new field if we can make more discoveries like 
this," he added. 

Schlichting and colleagues combed through 4.5 years of Hubble data to find the 
tiny Kuiper Belt Object, discovered as it passed in front of a background star, 
momentarily dimming its light. 

"These tiny objects are much rarer than you would expect," Schlichting told 
Discovery News. 

Based on the number of known objects in the Kuiper Belt, scientists would have 
expected to find between 30 and 100 tiny bodies in their analysis of 50,000 
guide stars observed by Hubble. 

So far, the team has only looked at 30 percent of the available Hubble data. 

"We only found one," Schlichting said. "It shows that there's kind of a break 
in the size of objects in the Kuiper Belt from large objects, meaning bigger 
than 50 kilometers (31 miles), and smaller ones." 

The dearth of small bodies may be evidence that objects in the Kuiper Belt are 
crashing and gri

RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

2010-01-26 Thread C.W. Badie
...And I'll still be here griping about when you and Kieth are going to put 
your stuff in print...Pretend you didn't hear that...as usual...

"Such music flows on the Fringe, and no one can resist singing to Scarlet"
>From "THE SIDE STREET CHRONICLES" by C.W. Badie

--- On Tue, 1/26/10, Martin Baxter  wrote:


From: Martin Baxter 
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?
To: "SciFiNoir2" 
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 2:22 PM


  



I'm gonna have to start writing space-based fiction again, just to use some of 
the stuff that popping out of the woodwork.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=fQUxw9aUVik






To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com
From: HelloMahogany@ gmail.com
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:54:09 -0800
Subject: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

  






Pluto's Little Sister Found?
When it comes to objects in the Kuiper Belt, the vast, icy ring that encircles 
our solar system, size matters.


 

By Irene Klotz | Mon Jan 25, 2010 01:49 PM ET 


 The smallest object ever found in the Kuiper Belt, a vast, icy ring that 
encircles our solar system, helps to explain how these debris disks are formed.
NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)


THE GIST: 


An icy body one-third of a mile wide is the smallest known object ever found in 
the Kuiper Belt.
The Kuiper Belt is a vast, icy ring just beyond Neptune that encircles the 
solar system.
The discovery links solar system formation to planet-forming debris disks 
around other stars.



The frozen worlds orbiting beyond Neptune include not only dwarf planets like 
Pluto and Ceres, but also a tiny, icy toehold just one-third of a mile wide.
The discovery, made by a team of astronomers scouring Hubble Space Telescope 
observations, sets a new record for the smallest Kuiper Belt object found. 
Previously, the smallest known Pluto sibling was a 30-mile-wide Kuiper Belt 
object.
The Kuiper Belt region, located about 4.6 billion miles away, is filled with 
objects believed to be left over from the solar system's formation. It is 
similar to the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, but much 
bigger. Unlike the asteroids that contain rock and metals, Kuiper Belt objects 
have icy bodies of methane, ammonia, water and other volatiles.
The Kuiper Belt is particularly interesting to scientists looking for planetary 
systems beyond our solar system. Planets are believed to form from collapsing 
disks of gas and dust orbiting stars.
"The dusty particles begin to stick together and eventually build up larger 
objects. Not all make it into planets. It's the leftover ones are what we're 
seeing when we look at Kuiper Belt objects and asteroids," University of 
Arizona astronomer John Stansberry told Discovery News.
The finding of a very small Kuiper Belt object links our solar system's debris 
disk to those observed around other stars, added University of Toronto's Hilke 
Schlichting, who led the team that made the discovery.
"We can observe micron-sized particles (in extrasolar debris disks), which are 
thought to be induced by collisions, from grinding down larger objects," 
Schlichting told Discovery News. "By finding this evidence for collision 
grinding in the Kuiper Belt, it seems to be the missing link between our Kuiper 
Belt and extrasolar debris disks."
When it comes to Kuiper Belt objects, size matters. Scientists can use this 
information to determine an object's density and what it is made from. In 
larger bodies, gravity plays the dominant role in shaping objects. In smaller 
ones, it is the strength of its materials that matters.


WATCH VIDEO: Astrophysicist Andy Puckett explores the universe, especially 
undiscovered asteroids that could one day smack into our planet. Related Links: 





Taking the Kuiper Belt Census
Wide Angle: Asteroids
HowStuffWorks. com: Kuiper Belt
Pluto, Sponsored By McDonalds 



"The discovery of just one small object is probably not going to lead to great 
advances. But if we started to discover statistically significant numbers of 
them, then we can compare the number of large and small bodies, and you can 
start to get a handle on the material strength of the objects. It also might 
tell you about the violence of the collisions," said Stansberry.
"Potentially, it might be a new field if we can make more discoveries like 
this," he added.
Schlichting and colleagues combed through 4.5 years of Hubble data to find the 
tiny Kuiper Belt Object, discovered as it passed in front of a background star, 
momentarily dimming its light.
"These tiny objects are much rarer than you would expect," Schlichting told 
Discovery News.
Based on the number of known objects in the Kuiper Belt, scientists would have 
expected to find

RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

2010-01-27 Thread Martin Baxter

I'm writing, pal. And re-writing... and re-writing... and editing... and 
re-writing.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik




To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
From: astromancer2...@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:27:26 -0800
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?


















 



  



  
  
  ...And I'll still be here griping about when you and Kieth are going to 
put your stuff in print...Pretend you didn't hear that...as usual...

"Such music flows on the Fringe, and no one can resist singing to Scarlet"
>From "THE SIDE STREET CHRONICLES" by C.W. Badie

--- On Tue, 1/26/10, Martin Baxter  wrote:


From: Martin Baxter 
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?
To: "SciFiNoir2" 
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 2:22 PM


  

I'm gonna have to start writing space-based fiction again, just to use some of 
the stuff that popping out of the woodwork.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=fQUxw9aUVik






To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com
From: HelloMahogany@ gmail.com
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:54:09 -0800
Subject: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

  






Pluto's Little Sister Found?
When it comes to objects in the Kuiper Belt, the vast, icy ring that encircles 
our solar system, size matters.


 

By Irene Klotz | Mon Jan 25, 2010 01:49 PM ET 


 The smallest object ever found in the Kuiper Belt, a vast, icy ring that 
encircles our solar system, helps to explain how these debris disks are formed.
NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)


THE GIST: 


An icy body one-third of a mile wide is the smallest known object ever found in 
the Kuiper Belt.
The Kuiper Belt is a vast, icy ring just beyond Neptune that encircles the 
solar system.
The discovery links solar system formation to planet-forming debris disks 
around other stars.



The frozen worlds orbiting beyond Neptune include not only dwarf planets like 
Pluto and Ceres, but also a tiny, icy toehold just one-third of a mile wide.
The discovery, made by a team of astronomers scouring Hubble Space Telescope 
observations, sets a new record for the smallest Kuiper Belt object found. 
Previously, the smallest known Pluto sibling was a 30-mile-wide Kuiper Belt 
object.
The Kuiper Belt region, located about 4.6 billion miles away, is filled with 
objects believed to be left over from the solar system's formation. It is 
similar to the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, but much 
bigger. Unlike the
 asteroids that contain rock and metals, Kuiper Belt objects have icy bodies of 
methane, ammonia, water and other volatiles.
The Kuiper Belt is particularly interesting to scientists looking for planetary 
systems beyond our solar system. Planets are believed to form from collapsing 
disks of gas and dust orbiting stars.
"The dusty particles begin to stick together and eventually build up larger 
objects. Not all make it into planets. It's the leftover ones are what we're 
seeing when we look at Kuiper Belt objects and asteroids," University of 
Arizona astronomer John Stansberry told Discovery News.
The finding of a very small Kuiper Belt object links our solar system's debris 
disk to those observed around other
 stars, added University of Toronto's Hilke Schlichting, who led the team that 
made the discovery.
"We can observe micron-sized particles (in extrasolar debris disks), which are 
thought to be induced by collisions, from grinding down larger objects," 
Schlichting told Discovery News. "By finding this evidence for collision 
grinding in the Kuiper Belt, it seems to be the missing link between our Kuiper 
Belt and extrasolar debris disks."
When it comes to Kuiper Belt objects, size matters. Scientists can use this 
information to determine an object's density and what it is made from. In 
larger bodies, gravity plays the dominant role in shaping objects. In smaller 
ones, it is the strength of its materials that matters.


WATCH VIDEO: Astrophysicist Andy Puckett explores the universe, especially 
undiscovered asteroids that could one day smack into our planet. Related Links: 





Taking the Kuiper Belt Census
Wide Angle: Asteroids
HowStuffWorks. com: Kuiper Belt
Pluto, Sponsored By McDonalds 



"The discovery of just one small object is probably not going to lead to great 
advances. But if we started to discover statistically significant numbers of 
them, then we can compare the number of large and small bodies, and you can 
start to get a handle on the material strength of the objects. It also might 
tell you about the violence of the collisions," said Stansberry

RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

2010-01-27 Thread Martin Baxter

And, as for print, I'm gonna have to go self-publishing, as soon as the 
dominoes are all in place.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik




To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
From: astromancer2...@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:27:26 -0800
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?


















 



  



  
  
  ...And I'll still be here griping about when you and Kieth are going to 
put your stuff in print...Pretend you didn't hear that...as usual...

"Such music flows on the Fringe, and no one can resist singing to Scarlet"
>From "THE SIDE STREET CHRONICLES" by C.W. Badie

--- On Tue, 1/26/10, Martin Baxter  wrote:


From: Martin Baxter 
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?
To: "SciFiNoir2" 
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 2:22 PM


  

I'm gonna have to start writing space-based fiction again, just to use some of 
the stuff that popping out of the woodwork.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=fQUxw9aUVik






To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com
From: HelloMahogany@ gmail.com
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:54:09 -0800
Subject: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

  






Pluto's Little Sister Found?
When it comes to objects in the Kuiper Belt, the vast, icy ring that encircles 
our solar system, size matters.


 

By Irene Klotz | Mon Jan 25, 2010 01:49 PM ET 


 The smallest object ever found in the Kuiper Belt, a vast, icy ring that 
encircles our solar system, helps to explain how these debris disks are formed.
NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)


THE GIST: 


An icy body one-third of a mile wide is the smallest known object ever found in 
the Kuiper Belt.
The Kuiper Belt is a vast, icy ring just beyond Neptune that encircles the 
solar system.
The discovery links solar system formation to planet-forming debris disks 
around other stars.



The frozen worlds orbiting beyond Neptune include not only dwarf planets like 
Pluto and Ceres, but also a tiny, icy toehold just one-third of a mile wide.
The discovery, made by a team of astronomers scouring Hubble Space Telescope 
observations, sets a new record for the smallest Kuiper Belt object found. 
Previously, the smallest known Pluto sibling was a 30-mile-wide Kuiper Belt 
object.
The Kuiper Belt region, located about 4.6 billion miles away, is filled with 
objects believed to be left over from the solar system's formation. It is 
similar to the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, but much 
bigger. Unlike the
 asteroids that contain rock and metals, Kuiper Belt objects have icy bodies of 
methane, ammonia, water and other volatiles.
The Kuiper Belt is particularly interesting to scientists looking for planetary 
systems beyond our solar system. Planets are believed to form from collapsing 
disks of gas and dust orbiting stars.
"The dusty particles begin to stick together and eventually build up larger 
objects. Not all make it into planets. It's the leftover ones are what we're 
seeing when we look at Kuiper Belt objects and asteroids," University of 
Arizona astronomer John Stansberry told Discovery News.
The finding of a very small Kuiper Belt object links our solar system's debris 
disk to those observed around other
 stars, added University of Toronto's Hilke Schlichting, who led the team that 
made the discovery.
"We can observe micron-sized particles (in extrasolar debris disks), which are 
thought to be induced by collisions, from grinding down larger objects," 
Schlichting told Discovery News. "By finding this evidence for collision 
grinding in the Kuiper Belt, it seems to be the missing link between our Kuiper 
Belt and extrasolar debris disks."
When it comes to Kuiper Belt objects, size matters. Scientists can use this 
information to determine an object's density and what it is made from. In 
larger bodies, gravity plays the dominant role in shaping objects. In smaller 
ones, it is the strength of its materials that matters.


WATCH VIDEO: Astrophysicist Andy Puckett explores the universe, especially 
undiscovered asteroids that could one day smack into our planet. Related Links: 





Taking the Kuiper Belt Census
Wide Angle: Asteroids
HowStuffWorks. com: Kuiper Belt
Pluto, Sponsored By McDonalds 



"The discovery of just one small object is probably not going to lead to great 
advances. But if we started to discover statistically significant numbers of 
them, then we can compare the number of large and small bodies, and you can 
start to get a handle on the material strength of the objects. It also might 
tell you about the violence of the collisions," sai

RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

2010-01-29 Thread C.W. Badie
I'll be waiting...
"Such music flows on the Fringe, and no one can resist singing to Scarlet"
>From "THE SIDE STREET CHRONICLES" by C.W. Badie

--- On Wed, 1/27/10, Martin Baxter  wrote:


From: Martin Baxter 
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?
To: "SciFiNoir2" 
Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 3:02 PM


  



And, as for print, I'm gonna have to go self-publishing, as soon as the 
dominoes are all in place.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=fQUxw9aUVik






To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com
From: astromancer2002@ yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:27:26 -0800
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

  






...And I'll still be here griping about when you and Kieth are going to put 
your stuff in print...Pretend you didn't hear that...as usual...

"Such music flows on the Fringe, and no one can resist singing to Scarlet"
>From "THE SIDE STREET CHRONICLES" by C.W. Badie

--- On Tue, 1/26/10, Martin Baxter  wrote:


From: Martin Baxter 
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?
To: "SciFiNoir2" 
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 2:22 PM


  

I'm gonna have to start writing space-based fiction again, just to use some of 
the stuff that popping out of the woodwork.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=fQUxw9aUVik






To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com
From: HelloMahogany@ gmail.com
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:54:09 -0800
Subject: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

  






Pluto's Little Sister Found?
When it comes to objects in the Kuiper Belt, the vast, icy ring that encircles 
our solar system, size matters.


 

By Irene Klotz | Mon Jan 25, 2010 01:49 PM ET 


 The smallest object ever found in the Kuiper Belt, a vast, icy ring that 
encircles our solar system, helps to explain how these debris disks are formed.
NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)


THE GIST: 


An icy body one-third of a mile wide is the smallest known object ever found in 
the Kuiper Belt.
The Kuiper Belt is a vast, icy ring just beyond Neptune that encircles the 
solar system.
The discovery links solar system formation to planet-forming debris disks 
around other stars.



The frozen worlds orbiting beyond Neptune include not only dwarf planets like 
Pluto and Ceres, but also a tiny, icy toehold just one-third of a mile wide.
The discovery, made by a team of astronomers scouring Hubble Space Telescope 
observations, sets a new record for the smallest Kuiper Belt object found. 
Previously, the smallest known Pluto sibling was a 30-mile-wide Kuiper Belt 
object.
The Kuiper Belt region, located about 4.6 billion miles away, is filled with 
objects believed to be left over from the solar system's formation. It is 
similar to the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, but much 
bigger. Unlike the asteroids that contain rock and metals, Kuiper Belt objects 
have icy bodies of methane, ammonia, water and other volatiles.
The Kuiper Belt is particularly interesting to scientists looking for planetary 
systems beyond our solar system. Planets are believed to form from collapsing 
disks of gas and dust orbiting stars.
"The dusty particles begin to stick together and eventually build up larger 
objects. Not all make it into planets. It's the leftover ones are what we're 
seeing when we look at Kuiper Belt objects and asteroids," University of 
Arizona astronomer John Stansberry told Discovery News.
The finding of a very small Kuiper Belt object links our solar system's debris 
disk to those observed around other stars, added University of Toronto's Hilke 
Schlichting, who led the team that made the discovery.
"We can observe micron-sized particles (in extrasolar debris disks), which are 
thought to be induced by collisions, from grinding down larger objects," 
Schlichting told Discovery News. "By finding this evidence for collision 
grinding in the Kuiper Belt, it seems to be the missing link between our Kuiper 
Belt and extrasolar debris disks."
When it comes to Kuiper Belt objects, size matters. Scientists can use this 
information to determine an object's density and what it is made from. In 
larger bodies, gravity plays the dominant role in shaping objects. In smaller 
ones, it is the strength of its materials that matters.


WATCH VIDEO: Astrophysicist Andy Puckett explores the universe, especially 
undiscovered asteroids that could one day smack into our planet. Related Links: 





Taking the Kuiper Belt Census
Wide Angle: Asteroids
HowStuffWorks. com: Kuiper Belt
Pluto, Sponsored By McDonalds 



"The discovery of just one small

RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

2010-01-30 Thread Martin Baxter

And that was everyone in the list. :-)

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik




To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
From: astromancer2...@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:16:23 -0800
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?


















 



  



  
  
  I'll be waiting...
"Such music flows on the Fringe, and no one can resist singing to Scarlet"
>From "THE SIDE STREET CHRONICLES" by C.W. Badie

--- On Wed, 1/27/10, Martin Baxter  wrote:


From: Martin Baxter 
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?
To: "SciFiNoir2" 
Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 3:02 PM


  

And, as for print, I'm gonna have to go self-publishing, as soon as the 
dominoes are all in place.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=fQUxw9aUVik






To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com
From: astromancer2002@ yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:27:26 -0800
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

  






...And I'll still be here griping about when you and Kieth are going to put 
your stuff in print...Pretend you didn't hear that...as usual...

"Such music flows on the Fringe, and no one can resist singing to Scarlet"
>From "THE SIDE STREET CHRONICLES" by C.W. Badie

--- On Tue, 1/26/10, Martin Baxter  wrote:


From: Martin Baxter 
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?
To: "SciFiNoir2" 
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 2:22 PM


  

I'm gonna have to start writing space-based fiction again, just to use some of 
the stuff that popping out of the woodwork.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=fQUxw9aUVik






To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com
From: HelloMahogany@ gmail.com
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:54:09 -0800
Subject: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

  






Pluto's Little Sister Found?
When it comes to objects in the Kuiper Belt, the vast, icy ring that encircles 
our solar system, size matters.


 

By Irene Klotz | Mon Jan 25, 2010 01:49 PM ET 


 The smallest object ever found in the Kuiper Belt, a vast, icy ring that 
encircles our solar system, helps to explain how these debris disks are formed.
NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)


THE GIST: 


An icy body one-third of a mile wide is the smallest known object ever found in 
the Kuiper Belt.
The Kuiper Belt is a vast, icy ring just beyond Neptune that encircles the 
solar system.
The discovery links solar system formation to planet-forming debris disks 
around other stars.



The frozen worlds orbiting beyond Neptune include not only dwarf planets like 
Pluto and Ceres, but also a tiny, icy toehold just one-third of a mile wide.
The discovery, made by a team of astronomers scouring Hubble Space Telescope 
observations, sets a new record for the smallest Kuiper Belt object found. 
Previously, the smallest known Pluto sibling was a 30-mile-wide Kuiper Belt 
object.
The Kuiper Belt region, located about 4.6 billion miles away, is filled with 
objects believed to be left over from the solar system's formation. It is 
similar to the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, but much 
bigger. Unlike the
 asteroids that contain rock and metals, Kuiper Belt objects have icy bodies of 
methane, ammonia, water and other volatiles.
The Kuiper Belt is particularly interesting to scientists looking for planetary 
systems beyond our solar system. Planets are believed to form from collapsing 
disks of gas and dust orbiting stars.
"The dusty particles begin to stick together and eventually build up larger 
objects. Not all make it into planets. It's the leftover ones are what we're 
seeing when we look at Kuiper Belt objects and asteroids," University of 
Arizona astronomer John Stansberry told Discovery News.
The finding of a very small Kuiper Belt object links our solar system's debris 
disk to those observed around other
 stars, added University of Toronto's Hilke Schlichting, who led the team that 
made the discovery.
"We can observe micron-sized particles (in extrasolar debris disks), which are 
thought to be induced by collisions, from grinding down larger objects," 
Schlichting told Discovery News. "By finding this evidence for collision 
grinding in the Kuiper Belt, it seems to be the missing link between our Kuiper 
Belt and extrasolar debris disks."
When it comes to Kuiper Belt objects, size matters. Scientists can use this 
information to determine an object's density and what it is made from. In 
larger bodies,

RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

2010-01-30 Thread Martin Baxter

You'll be getting a copy. No, two. One signed, in case I actually do become a 
writing legend, so that you can put it up on evilBay for big bucks. ;-)

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik




To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
From: astromancer2...@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:16:23 -0800
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?


















 



  



  
  
  I'll be waiting...
"Such music flows on the Fringe, and no one can resist singing to Scarlet"
>From "THE SIDE STREET CHRONICLES" by C.W. Badie

--- On Wed, 1/27/10, Martin Baxter  wrote:


From: Martin Baxter 
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?
To: "SciFiNoir2" 
Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 3:02 PM


  

And, as for print, I'm gonna have to go self-publishing, as soon as the 
dominoes are all in place.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=fQUxw9aUVik






To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com
From: astromancer2002@ yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:27:26 -0800
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

  






...And I'll still be here griping about when you and Kieth are going to put 
your stuff in print...Pretend you didn't hear that...as usual...

"Such music flows on the Fringe, and no one can resist singing to Scarlet"
>From "THE SIDE STREET CHRONICLES" by C.W. Badie

--- On Tue, 1/26/10, Martin Baxter  wrote:


From: Martin Baxter 
Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?
To: "SciFiNoir2" 
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 2:22 PM


  

I'm gonna have to start writing space-based fiction again, just to use some of 
the stuff that popping out of the woodwork.

"If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody 
hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=fQUxw9aUVik






To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com
From: HelloMahogany@ gmail.com
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:54:09 -0800
Subject: [scifinoir2] Pluto's Little Sister Found?

  






Pluto's Little Sister Found?
When it comes to objects in the Kuiper Belt, the vast, icy ring that encircles 
our solar system, size matters.


 

By Irene Klotz | Mon Jan 25, 2010 01:49 PM ET 


 The smallest object ever found in the Kuiper Belt, a vast, icy ring that 
encircles our solar system, helps to explain how these debris disks are formed.
NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)


THE GIST: 


An icy body one-third of a mile wide is the smallest known object ever found in 
the Kuiper Belt.
The Kuiper Belt is a vast, icy ring just beyond Neptune that encircles the 
solar system.
The discovery links solar system formation to planet-forming debris disks 
around other stars.



The frozen worlds orbiting beyond Neptune include not only dwarf planets like 
Pluto and Ceres, but also a tiny, icy toehold just one-third of a mile wide.
The discovery, made by a team of astronomers scouring Hubble Space Telescope 
observations, sets a new record for the smallest Kuiper Belt object found. 
Previously, the smallest known Pluto sibling was a 30-mile-wide Kuiper Belt 
object.
The Kuiper Belt region, located about 4.6 billion miles away, is filled with 
objects believed to be left over from the solar system's formation. It is 
similar to the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, but much 
bigger. Unlike the
 asteroids that contain rock and metals, Kuiper Belt objects have icy bodies of 
methane, ammonia, water and other volatiles.
The Kuiper Belt is particularly interesting to scientists looking for planetary 
systems beyond our solar system. Planets are believed to form from collapsing 
disks of gas and dust orbiting stars.
"The dusty particles begin to stick together and eventually build up larger 
objects. Not all make it into planets. It's the leftover ones are what we're 
seeing when we look at Kuiper Belt objects and asteroids," University of 
Arizona astronomer John Stansberry told Discovery News.
The finding of a very small Kuiper Belt object links our solar system's debris 
disk to those observed around other
 stars, added University of Toronto's Hilke Schlichting, who led the team that 
made the discovery.
"We can observe micron-sized particles (in extrasolar debris disks), which are 
thought to be induced by collisions, from grinding down larger objects," 
Schlichting told Discovery News. "By finding this evidence for collision 
grinding in the Kuiper Belt, it seems to be the missing link between our Kuiper 
Belt and extrasolar debris disks."
When it comes to Kuiper Belt objects, size matters.