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Unsurprisingly perhaps, Vulcan and Cerberus have come out as the top names in the vote to decide what to call the two Pluto moons that haven't been officially named yet.
The fourth and fifth moons of Pluto, discovered in recent years, are designated as P4 and P5 and need new names.
SETI Institute and Mark Sho... |
25 February 2013
13:52 GMT |
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A short while back, the SETI Institute decided to get the public involved and asked everyone to vote on what the names of two most recently discovered moons of Pluto should be, or to suggest better names if they had any ideas. It seems that the "public" has jumped at the opportunity; so far, the team has received 30... |
19 February 2013
16:11 GMT |
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Pluto may no longer be a planet, but it still has more moons than us. In fact, the fourth and fifth moons were only discovered recently and don't even have a name yet. It's been seven months since the last moon was discovered and the team that made the discovery thinks it's about time it gets christene... |
11 February 2013
13:21 GMT |
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The most recent apparition of one of the five dwarf planets known in the Solar System made possible an unprecedented examination of its physical features. A report published in the November 22 issue of Nature depicts the achievements made by researchers concerning the planet's size, density and atmospheric prop... |
22 November 2012
10:04 GMT |
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Back in 2006, NASA launched the new Horizons spacecraft with the goal of eventually having it reach Pluto and study the celestial body. Unfortunately, some problems may arise.
Pluto may no longer qualify as a planet, but it is still one of the, if not the, least well-known space objects orbiting our sun.
To learn m... |
17 October 2012
08:21 GMT |
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On Wednesday, July 11, astronomers operating the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reported the discovery of a new moon around Pluto, the dwarf planet's fifth known natural satellite. The discovery highlights the potential perils facing the New Horizons spacecraft. Launched back in 2006, the vehicle – the f... |
12 July 2012
11:56 GMT |
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According to the latest data relayed to Earth by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, it would appear that Pluto may have five moons, instead of the four recognized thus far. The new finding comes about a year after the July 2011 discovery of the dwarf planet's fourth moon, called P4. “Just announced: Plut... |
11 July 2012
11:38 GMT |
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Even though the NASA New Horizons mission is still in hibernation mode, it was recently given the go-ahead to begin collecting data on interplanetary space. The mission is currently on its way to fly by Pluto. The point of closest approach will be reached in 2015. Already, the vehicle – which is the fastest s... |
10 July 2012
11:39 GMT |
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According to the conclusions of a new scientific study, a planet about four times the size of Earth may lurk in the solar system, beyond the orbit of Neptune. Its existence was proposed based on observations of other, small bodies in the area, which appear to be constantly perturbed by something.
Some astronomers b... |
23 May 2012
09:48 GMT |
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The NASA New Horizons spacecraft – the fastest robotic explorer ever built – is celebrating its sixth anniversary flying through space. The probe is heading for Pluto, but won't get there until 2015. At this point, all systems are nominal, and everything is going according to plan.Officials from the ... |
20 January 2012
10:41 GMT |
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Even though demoted from planetary status, Pluto is still arguably one of the most interesting bodies in the solar system, alongside its four moons. Recently, it became even more interesting, when researchers learned that its surface may contain complex organic molecules – the building blocks of life.
The res... |
22 December 2011
04:51 GMT |
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As the fastest spacecraft ever built is heading towards Pluto, mission controllers met with planetary scientists to discuss how to safeguard the New Horizons probe from instant destruction as it reaches the dwarf planet. This is scheduled to occur in July 2015.
While the object and its four moons are well understoo... |
29 November 2011
08:59 GMT |
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Astronomers interested in discovering whether an ocean lies just underneath the crusty surface of Pluto have to wait for about 3 more years. The NASA New Horizons spacecraft is currently on its way to the dwarf planet, and it is scheduled to fly past the object in 2015.
This probe is the fastest ever built. Launche... |
22 November 2011
03:01 GMT |
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Astronomers have been struggling to explain numerous odd properties displayed by Mercury and Uranus for many years now, but leading theories were just discredited over the past few days. Now, astronomers begin to search for new explanations of what actually happened. This line of inquiry is very difficult to push f... |
7 October 2011
09:50 GMT |
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As astronomers count down the years until a NASA spacecraft makes its way to the Kuiper Belt, many experts are currently making predictions about what the probe will find once it flies past the orbit of Pluto. The object is the cause of a dispute that has been raging on for about 5 years now.
Members of the Inter... |
6 September 2011
03:52 GMT |
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About five years ago, astronomers demoted Pluto from a planet to a dwarf planet, but the move – while still controversial – did not decrease researchers' interest in the small celestial body. When the NASA New Horizons space probe reaches it in 205, the spacecraft will change our view of the rocky wo... |
24 August 2011
10:12 GMT |
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Pluto was once a fully-fledged planet, considered by astronomers to be the ninth such object from the Sun. However, following a length and very divisive discussion in the international scientific community, the celestial body was demoted to a dwarf planet back in 2006. Since then, many experts have been arguing about... |
23 August 2011
09:21 GMT |
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According to the latest theoretical calculations, the dwarf planet Pluto should have a dust ring companion revolving around it. Scientists base their proposal on a computer model that analyzes the object's behavior in orbit.If such a structure is found and confirmed, then the discovery would be very important to... |
8 August 2011
04:44 GMT |
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Now that astronomers established the existence of a new moon around Pluto, they also have to name the object. Given the significance that names of the dwarf planet and its other three moons have, it stands to reason that the fourth will also have to be named in a similar fashion.
In Roman mythology, Pluto was the... |
21 July 2011
02:54 GMT |
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The Hubble Space Telescope can add another impressive achievement under its belt. Experts using the observatory to check for rings around the dwarf planet Pluto announce the discovery of a new moon orbiting the distant object, the fourth one so far. Pluto is known to have one large moon called Charon, which is around... |
20 July 2011
09:51 GMT |
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The NASA New Horizons spacecraft is currently on its way to the dwarf planet Pluto, at the outskirts of our solar system. The object, located in the Kuiper Belt, will be just the first stop for the probe. Now, the general public has a chance to help experts decided on other targets of interest. The robot is scheduled... |
22 June 2011
09:34 GMT |
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Exactly five years ago today, astronomers at the Boulder, Colorado-based Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) decided on what to call two of Pluto's moons, that were discovered barely a year before. After nearly 12 months on debates about possible names, the team decided on Hydra and Nix. Both of these diminutive... |
21 June 2011
03:07 GMT |
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Scientists have recently determined that the atmosphere surrounding the dwarf planet Pluto is poisonous and toxic for humans. Apparently, it contains the dangerous gas carbon monoxide, the same that causes asphyxiation in humans who get trapped in fires.The investigation also managed to show that the space object... |
20 April 2011
08:36 GMT |
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NASA is proud to announce that its New Horizons spacecraft has finally passed the orbit of Uranus, on its long trek to Pluto, one of the farthest planets in the solar system. The probe is due to reach its destination sometime in 2015, mission plans indicate.
This major mission milestone was reached on Saturday, Ma... |
19 March 2011
05:44 GMT |
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According to officials at the American space agency, the New Horizons space probe is currently being prepared for yet another important milestone in tis mission, its flyby of the gas giant Uranus.The event will take place on March 2011, as the spacecraft heads towards Pluto at a speed of nearly 36,000 miles per hour ... |
17 December 2010
10:02 GMT |
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According to a new astronomical study, it may be that the long-held belief that Eris is larger than Pluto is false. Data would now appear to suggest that Pluto is indeed larger than its Kuiper Belt “colleague.” For many years, astronomers have believed that the dwarf planet Eris was the largest body beyon... |
10 November 2010
04:34 GMT |
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In January 2005, astronomers peering into the night sky made an impressive find, a new celestial body which its discoverer first called Xena. Over the years, the finding proved critical, as it led to the creation of the dwarf planet category, and the demotion of Pluto from full-blown planet. Earlier this month, it wa... |
28 October 2010
03:05 GMT |
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Experts at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) announce that the NASA New Horizons space probe passed the halfway mark in the number of days from launch to Pluto encounter on Sunday. The mark was reached at 3:24 UT on October 17, and this means that the spacecraft now has fewer days of f... |
19 October 2010
08:58 GMT |
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A dust counter that was developed at the University of Colorado in Boulder (UCB) has reached an impressive record, when it became the most distant working instrument of its kind from Earth.The tool is installed on the NASA New Horizons space prove, which is currently more than halfway on its trip to reach the distant... |
13 October 2010
11:03 GMT |
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A recent series of investigations has determined that the surface of the Kuiper Belt object Eris is similar in composition to that of the dwarf planet Pluto. The announcement was made on Wednesday, October 5, at the42nd meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences, which was hel... |
7 October 2010
10:01 GMT |
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The most well-studied object in the Kuiper Belt is undoubtedly Pluto, a body that was a couple of years ago demoted from the rank of full-fledged planet to that of dwarf planet. The object features a large Moon called Charon, as well as two smaller satellites, dubbed Nix and Hydra. The latter two were only discovered... |
20 May 2010
08:46 GMT |
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A group of experts using the Hubble space telescope has recently uncovered a few peculiarities on the surface of Pluto, one of the outermost planets in our solar system. Datasets recovered from the famous observatory revealed the existence of alternating bright and dark spots on the celestial body, and many experts w... |
30 April 2010
02:36 GMT |
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The way the International Astronomical Union (IAU) goes about defining planets is a topic that many are uncomfortable with. A large proportion of all astronomers in the organization do not agree with the definitions by which the IAU decided which space object is classified as a planet, and which as a dwarf planet. Th... |
12 April 2010
08:41 GMT |
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On February 25, the NASA New Horizons mission finally reached one of the major milestones of its flight – namely exceeding half the distance to its target, the dwarf planet Pluto. The spacecraft, which is one of the few being propelled by a cylindrical radioisotope thermoelectric generator, or RTG, carries with... |
27 February 2010
03:17 GMT |
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First seen on March 19, 1915, the planet Pluto has been the subject of much debate even before it was discovered. While analyzing perturbations in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune, astronomers hypothesized that another celestial body, dubbed Planet X, must be influencing the two. After Pluto was found, the tenth obje... |
18 February 2010
18:01 GMT |
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Scientists operating the Hubble Space Telescope have recently conducted a new series of observations on Pluto, one of the most distant planets from the Sun. The images show the dwarf planet in about the same color it would appear to an astronaut approaching it on a spacecraft. But it's precisely this level of de... |
5 February 2010
05:23 GMT |
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Scientists at the American space agency are proud today to announce an impressive achievement of the New Horizons space probe, the fastest spacecraft every built. After years of traveling to the boundaries of the solar system, the instrument is finally closer to Pluto – its primary target – than it is to ... |
30 December 2009
06:49 GMT |
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The possible specifications lists of two more BlackBerry mobile phones have emerged on the Web, showing what BlackBerry Pluto (aka BlackBerry Bold 9900) and BlackBerry Magnum 9220 might include when released on the market. For the time being, these specifications remain into the rumor area, though there are also some... |
1 August 2009
07:30 GMT |
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The decision of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to declassify Pluto as a planet, and to move it to the lesser class of “dwarf planets” sparked widespread protests and disagreement in 2006. The move resulted from the fact that the new definition of the term “planet,” coined at the IA... |
27 July 2009
09:38 GMT |
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Yesterday, March 13, Illinois' Senate passed a bill that re-instated Pluto to a full planetary status, despite the fact that the celestial body lost an “election” with the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) some three years ago, in which its classification was changed to t... |
14 March 2009
07:41 GMT |
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Pluto is one of the smallest planets in the solar system, and it's located very far away from the Sun, beyond the orbit of Neptune. It's one of the dwarf celestial bodies, having a diameter of only one fifth that of the Earth. But, unlike our planet, it's made almost entirely out of rock and ice, and f... |
3 March 2009
04:58 GMT |
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Since the beginning of the space age, people who went out there always carried something with them, either to give it value, or to make them feel closer to home. Some were an homage to people who achieved a great deal in the field of astronomy, and here is a list of a few of those objects, compiled by New Scientist.T... |
23 December 2008
08:10 GMT |
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Two years after it was stripped of its privileges as a planet, Pluto takes a new hit coming from the International Astronomical Union which has taken it out of the dwarf planet family and placed it into a rather strange new one called 'plutoids'. The IAU decided in 2006 that Pluto should be demoted from the... |
12 June 2008
02:58 GMT |
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There is definitely something out there, orbiting in the outer edge of the solar system. Maybe a planet with a size comparable to that of Earth, locked in a highly elliptical eccentric orbit, hidden away from our keen eyes. But what if we're looking in the wrong place? According to professor Tadashi Mukai from K... |
18 March 2008
05:37 GMT |
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More than two years ago, before Pluto was demoted from its status of planet to that of minor planet, it was still considered the most remote planet from the Sun. Or, was it? If you look closer to the orbits of Pluto and Neptune, you might observe something unexpected. Pluto occasionally comes closer to the Sun than N... |
22 January 2008
08:21 GMT |
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There is another planet beyond the orbit of Neptune, and scientists say it's not Pluto. Ever wondered what the X in the name stands for? The X is the equivalent for unknown, opposed to the general believe that it represents the Roman numeral for 10. And another thing... how do you discover a planet that has neve... |
16 January 2008
06:57 GMT |
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Charon is the largest satellite of the now dwarf planet Pluto, also referred to as Pluto I, over half the diameter of Pluto, dominated by what was thought to be stable water ice and it has no atmosphere. It is largely an icy body and contains less rock by proportion than its partner Pluto, supporting the idea it was... |
18 July 2007
03:32 GMT |
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