New Frozen World Found Beyond Pluto

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New Frozen World Found Beyond Pluto

Posted by timothy on Monday October 7, 2002 @05:01AM from the delightfully-free-of-tourists dept.

theBrownfury writes "BBC, Sydney Herald, and the Indian Express are reporting a new object, which is one-tenth the diameter of the Earth, and lies well beyond Pluto in an area of the Solar System known as the Kuiper Belt. The new world, which has been dubbed Quaoar, is about 1,280 kilometres (800 miles) across. Quaoar orbits the sun ever 288 years and is 1250 Km wide, about the size of all the asteroids combined. This discovery is being hailed as the most important solar system discovery in the past 72 years."

41 of 756 comments (clear)

Ah crap... you've found my home planet. by Ted_Green · 2002-10-07 05:03 · Score: 5, Funny

Now you all must die!
Most Important Solar System Discovery by von+Prufer · 2002-10-07 05:03 · Score: 5, Funny

"This discovery is being hailed as the most important solar system discovery in the past 72 years."

Not by me.
Aw shucks by entrippy · 2002-10-07 05:04 · Score: 5, Funny

They called it "Quaoar"? You can't even pronounce it! Here I was hoping they'd have the decencey to name the planet out past Pluto as it should be named.

Goofy.
1. Re:Aw shucks by JohnA · 2002-10-07 05:18 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Don't you mean "Disney(R) Presents Goofy"?
2. Re:Aw shucks by Dirtside · 2002-10-07 05:35 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  They called it "Quaoar"? You can't even pronounce it! Here I was hoping they'd have the decencey to name the planet out past Pluto as it should be named.
  Goofy.
  
  What, you don't think the name "Quaoar" is goofy enough already? :)
  
  --
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3. Re:Aw shucks by Citizen+of+Earth · 2002-10-07 05:52 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  They should have called it "Planet X". (If X = 10 isn't trademarked by Apple.)
4. Re:Aw shucks by susano_otter · 2002-10-07 05:56 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Then, of course, there's the painful deviation from the traditional planet naming convention to consider: Minerva, Ulysses, and Orpheus are all better choices than "Q-mumble-mumble".
  
  I swear, it looks like the sort of name that was made specially for Ash to mispronounce, thereby summoning unspeakable evil to an S-Mart near you.
  
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5. Re:Aw shucks by CableModemSniper · 2002-10-07 06:26 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  It's trademarked by the Roman Empire. Apple is licensing the letter "X" as the number 10 on a long term basis.
  
  --
  Why not fork?
6. Re:Aw shucks by apg · 2002-10-07 07:20 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  This is what happens when scientists get a load of crappy letters in Scrabble.
  
  "Honey, I'm telling you... 'Quaoar' is so a word. It's the name of the planet we discovered yesterday. Yeah, that's it..."
7. Re:Aw shucks by Drunken+Coward · 2002-10-07 08:33 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Qwa O Wahr?
  Sounds like my cat when I stuck it in the microwave.
  
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not official name by Em+Emalb · 2002-10-07 05:06 · Score: 5, Funny

"However, Quaoar is not an official name - at least not yet. In a few months, the International Astronomical Union, astronomy's governing body, will vote on it."

I vote for CowboyNeal.

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Blarney by Shamanin · 2002-10-07 05:06 · Score: 5, Funny

"Quaoar orbits the sun ever 288 years"

Do I perceive a-bit of the ol' Irish accent in ye? Or are ye a pirate be?

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Vanna White, help! by Tablizer · 2002-10-07 05:08 · Score: 5, Funny

Quaoar

Otherwise known as the Vowel Planet

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Table-ized A.I.
1. Re:Vanna White, help! by growlydog · 2002-10-07 05:19 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Now... If we started calling it the Vowel Planet, and it somehow went out of its natural orbit, would that be called a "Vowel Movement"?
  
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2. Re:Vanna White, help! by Tablizer · 2002-10-07 05:23 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Now... If we started calling it the Vowel Planet, and it somehow went out of its natural orbit, would that be called a "Vowel Movement"?
  
  He he. And I thought we exhausted all the space doodee jokes when the new moon of Uranus was posted a few weeks ago. Boy was I wrong.
  
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  Table-ized A.I.
MVEMJSUNP by Squarewav · 2002-10-07 05:09 · Score: 5, Funny

My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas Q???
ahh damn now what are we supposed to use to remember the planet order
1. Re:MVEMJSUNP by Frodo2002 · 2002-10-07 05:14 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  My Very Energetic MOther Just Served Us Nine Pizzas Quickly/Quietly/Quantumly/Quaintly/....
  
  Um, well it doen't solve the problem of 10 planets, but on the other hand we could leave it as "Nine". Just imagine our grandchildren will tell their children that the "Nine" is an artifact of history when people thought there were only nine planets in the Solar System...
2. Re:MVEMJSUNP by stand · 2002-10-07 05:39 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  but on the other hand we could leave it as "Nine"
  How about My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Numerous Pizzas Quickly. Then we no longer have the scalability problem.
  
  --
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3. Re:MVEMJSUNP by susano_otter · 2002-10-07 07:40 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Clearly, we should just call the thing "Ten of Nine", and leave it at that. After all, it's clear that Saturn is the sexiest planet.
  
  --
  Any sufficiently well-organized community is indistinguishable from Government.
Can anyone think of a use for a new planet? by ites · 2002-10-07 05:09 · Score: 5, Funny

Dunno, but I've racked my brains for the last five minutes
and I can't think of a single thing we could do with Quaoar (OSLT).
Nope. Zilch. Not a single damn use for another planet.
We still haven't figured out what we're going to do with the current lot.
Perhaps I'm an ignorant barbarian, but how is finding one more planet 'important'?
I mean... surely 'importance' has to have something to do with human aspirations?

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Re:Will it stay named? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-07 05:11 · Score: 5, Funny

yes, but pluto managed to pull its stock up over $1, so it's still listed.
Hah! Got it! by ites · 2002-10-07 05:12 · Score: 4, Funny

It's the SCRABBLE PLANET!
Someone just wants to sneak this word into the dictionary so that he can beat his aged grandmother at Scrabble.
This is the only possible reason for the name.

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Send it to Bosnia! by wiredog · 2002-10-07 05:12 · Score: 3, Funny

Support the Vowels For Bosnia campaign!

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tenth planet by Triv · 2002-10-07 05:14 · Score: 5, Funny

For the sake of geekdom everywhere -- If there's a tenth planet out there, it's gotta be called Persephone (I don't think Rupert would go over too well).

(We miss you, Douglas)

Triv
1. Re:tenth planet by Rupert · 2002-10-07 05:30 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Ahem. I may not be a roman god,or one of whatever Quaoar is, but I don't see any fundamental objection to naming a planet after me.
  
  --
  
  --
  E_NOSIG
just doesn't sound the same by rattler14 · 2002-10-07 05:14 · Score: 3, Funny

my
very
eager
mother
just
served
us
nine
p izzas
um... quickly?

ah well, i'm sure someone else can come up with something more creative

--
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K-Pax by rppp01 · 2002-10-07 05:14 · Score: 3, Funny

Prot was right! I knew it!

Now I know he was really an alien!

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"Vowel Movement Linked to Uranus" by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-07 05:25 · Score: 5, Funny

Film at 11.
Re:Quaoar is California Spelling of American India by Tablizer · 2002-10-07 05:29 · Score: 4, Funny

Quaoar is California Spelling of [an] American Indian [God]

The God of Vowels, no doubt.

(I know I know, I cannot kick this vowel thing.)

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Table-ized A.I.
Re:Dimensions by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-07 05:38 · Score: 5, Funny

Note that he used a capital K (the computer science kilo = 1024).

1250 Km = 1250*1.024 km = 1280 km. Everything works out.
Farengi bar jokes, part I by Tablizer · 2002-10-07 05:39 · Score: 5, Funny

New DS9 tongue twister:

Quark, Queue me up a Quick Quart of Quaoar

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Table-ized A.I.
Re:Is it really? by Amazing+Quantum+Man · 2002-10-07 05:44 · Score: 3, Funny

It's still a cool discovery

Actually, given the distance from the Sun, I'd say it's a very COLD discovery!

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Sawyer called it by thatguywhoiam · 2002-10-07 05:49 · Score: 5, Funny

[ Loosely paraphrased from Calculating God...]
Alien: It's only natural that humans would use a base-10 number system. You have 10 of everything. 10 fingers, 10 toes, 10 planets in your solar system...
Human: Uh, that's nine planets.
Alien: Keep looking.

--
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
Don't you know... by BoomerSooner · 2002-10-07 05:49 · Score: 3, Funny

You're going to bring the wrath of Steve Jobs down on you. It's planet "ten" not "X". Trademark pending, patent pending, soul pending.
Slashdot Poll by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-07 05:51 · Score: 5, Funny

What is your favorite pronunciation of Quaoar?
1) kyoo-ohr
2) kway-ohr
3) kwow-ahr
5) kwak-kwak
6) k-pax
7) kow-boi-neel
Obligatory Simpsons Refernce by LittleGuy · 2002-10-07 05:58 · Score: 3, Funny

Suggestion: Planet Kwyjibo.

--
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Re:Dimensions by CableModemSniper · 2002-10-07 06:34 · Score: 4, Funny

::takes out calculator:: That is absoluetly terrifyi ng.

--
Why not fork?
So how long until Jack Brennan moves it? by rthille · 2002-10-07 06:53 · Score: 3, Funny

And puts another Stonehenge in my backyard?

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Come on, Moon 2, Moon 2!!! by watanabe · 2002-10-07 07:23 · Score: 4, Funny

I want this to be moved into orbit around earth, so that we can have two moons, like "Hook." Woo! That would be great. Who wants to fund the expedition? I'm sure we can profit from the new moon somehow. Like, countries could pay to keep it in or out of their orbit... How great would this be? Like "Grandpa, were you there when they added the second moon?" "Yes Deirdre, I was. In fact, I suggested it..."
Moon2.com. If only it were 1999, this would already be funded!!
Correction to the article by Kaz+Riprock · 2002-10-07 09:20 · Score: 3, Funny

The original poster wrote:
Quaoar orbits the sun ever 288 years
Actually, Quaoar fully orbits the sun once every year. 288 Earth years = 1 Quaoar year. Don't be so planetocentric. :)

--
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sort of a setback by sacrilicious · 2002-10-07 09:38 · Score: 3, Funny

Hmm, ten planets. This renders useless all those messages we've sent for aliens to find... the ones where a sun is shown with nine planets orbiting it, and a humanoid figure shown near the third one.

Zok: Hey, this looks like the place from the message, check it out: humanoids, single sun...

Glork: Oh wait though, there are ten planets. Let's keep looking.

Klork: Drat! I was so looking forward to bestowing the technological gift of perfectly realistic virtual porn on yet another race.

--
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