According to a team ofastronomers making use of data from two powerful orbital telescopes,a dwarf planet known as 2007 OR10 orbiting in the far reaches of oursolar system is significantly larger than previously believed. Theresults of the study makes the little-known planetoid the thirdlargest dwarf planet behind Pluto and Eris.
Previous observationsof 2007 OR10 using only infrared data from the Herschel telescope hadestimated the dwarf planet to have a diameter of around 795 miles(1,280 km). However, these readings were taken without knowledge of2007 OR10's rotational period, which is a key variable needed forastronomers to extrapolate the size of a heavenly body.
Without this keyvariable, the light detected by a telescope could lead to incorrectestimations of a planetoid's size, as was the case with 2007 OR10. Asmaller body with a brighter surface could potentially appear largerthan a darker, much larger dwarf planet.
The new research pairedinfrared readings collected by Herschel with visible light dataharvested by the Kepler spacecraft, which was tasked with observing2007 OR10 for a continuous period of 19 days in late 2014. Thecombination of the data sets allowed astronomers to deduce a numberof characteristics of the distant planetoid.
It is now estimatedthat 2007 OR10 boasts a diameter of 955 miles (1,535 km), and takesan impressive 45 hours to complete a day cycle. The researchersbelieve that the surface of 2007 OR10 is coated with methane ices,carbon monoxide and nitrogen, which would likely bestow the planetoidwith a dark reddish hue.
The increase in size of2007 OR10 has also increased the expected gravitational influence ofthe planet, meaning that it could be capable of holding on to theabove materials where a smaller planetoid would have lost them tospace over time.
Now that we know alittle more about 2007 OR10, it's probably time that it be given a morecatchy name. As is tradition, the honour of naming the dwarf planetwill go to its discoverers, Meg Schwamb, Mike Brown, and DavidRabinowitz.
"The names ofPluto-sized bodies each tell a story about the characteristics oftheir respective objects. In the past, we haven't known enough about2007 OR10 to give it a name that would do it justice," commentsSchwamb. "I think we're coming to a point where we can give 2007OR10 its rightful name."
A paper on the researchcan be found online in the Astronomical Journal.
Source: NASA
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Finally, haven't we discussed about a gajillion times that Neptune's otherwise inexplicable inconsistent-appearing orbit indicates the presence of multiple sizeable planetoids beyond Pluto? It's been said, and with some confidence at the very least, that masses unseen must exist on the edge of our Solar System because their gravitational fields are just barely perceptible as affecting Neptune's motions.