2001 Kx76

Discussion in 'Astronomy, Exobiology, & Cosmology' started by wet1, Aug 30, 2001.

  1. wet1 Wanderer Registered Senior Member

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    How Big Is 2001 KX76?
    Credit: ESA, ESO, Astrovirtel, Gerhard Hahn (German Aerospace Center, DLR), et al.
    Newly discovered minor planet 2001 KX76 is circled in the top panel above, a recent composite image from the European Southern Observatory's 2.2 meter telescope at La Silla, Chile. Though 2001 KX76 appears here as single point of light in an unremarkable star field, its orbit has been accurately measured by Astrovirtel, a newly operational "virtual telescope" capable of mining many years of archival data for previously unrecognized images of 2001 KX76. The results show this minor planet to be very distant, orbiting just beyond Pluto and Charon in the realm of the Kuiper Belt. At its distance, apparent brightness, and assuming a reasonable surface reflectivity, 2001 KX76 would be 1,200 kilometers or more across -- larger than the largest main-belt asteroid, Ceres. In fact, the illustration in the bottom panel graphically compares this size estimate to Pluto, Charon, and the largest previously known Kuiper Belt objects, indicating the newfound minor planet is second only to Pluto in diameter. Along with other evidence, the comparison suggests that Pluto and Charon are closely related to Kuiper Belt worlds like 2001 KX76.
     
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  3. Lund Registered Member

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    Hi Wet1

    Could this asteroid fall on a planet like Jupiter
    or more on the sun due to their gravity?

    If such thing could happened the increase of mass will change the normality of our solar system?

    I'm not an expert and i apologies but for instance i read that if jupiter could have a bigger mass it will change into a star.

    Bye
     
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  5. The Evil Sponge Registered Member

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    Okay, I'm not nearly into this stuff or knowlegeable on the subject as many of you are, but is 2001Kx76 another planet in our solar system? What is charon, a planet as well? And is the Kuiper belt another gravitational force other than the one in our soar system?

    Please respond without razzing on me! I just think this stuff is interesting.
     
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  7. wet1 Wanderer Registered Senior Member

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    Welcome to Sciforums, The Evil Sponge. I do not think razzing has a place here. Somewhere else or another time maybe (in good nature).

    2001 KX76 is an asteroid. A big chunk of rock but not big enough to be a planet. Until this discovery it was thought that Ceres was the largest asteroid. Ceres resides within the "main belt" asteroids between Mars and Jupiter. 2001 KX76 lies beyond Pluto and within the Kuiper belt region. The Kuipter belt is a large area thought to consist of rocks and ices. Because it is so far away little light from our sun falls upon this region so that it is hard to spot or detect anything within it.

    Charon, is the single moon of Pluto and is often argued as to whether it is a true moon or a captured asteroid.

    As far as this asteroid leaving its orbit for the inner system, it is doubtful. It would require that either a sufficiently larger mass to nudge it out of its present orbit or another rock of adequate size to ram into it. While possible it is not likely. It's had all this time already to make the transition if it was going to.

    Many term Jupiter a "failed star". However it would take 10 times the mass that Jupiter has now to actually have enough internal pressure to achieve stellar ignition. However Jupiter does radiate far more energy than it receives from our sun.
     
  8. Tristan Leave your World Behind Valued Senior Member

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    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Yes True but in "Cosmos" Carl sagan says that our solar system moves throughout the galaxy and when another star gets close enough to the comet belt(Just a belt of large rocks and ice out side the solar system. out side our solar system it gives a gravitational tug and shoots a comet into the inner solar system.
     
  9. wet1 Wanderer Registered Senior Member

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    8,616
    I am sure you are familiar with the idea that we have had several mass extinctions that we know of during the history of life on earth (5 if I remember correctly). Over stellar time they seem to be quite regular. If you look at it from our recorded time then they are jumbled and at less regular times. Several theories have come about to try and account for the regularity. One is planet X. Another is the Sagan therory that we pass through the galactic mass as we orbit the galaxy. If the theory hold true then it is estimated that approximately 25% of the disturbed rocks, ices, ect. are sent on a path toward the inner system. Most of these are gobbled by Jupiter and the other gas giants of the outer system. Maybe not the first orbit around the sun but eventually. Very few remain to hazard the earth. That is not to say that all are gotten. They are not. But if this theory holds any truth then we should know within the next 1000 years. In stellar cycles we have just completed one such pass through galactic mass and now await the travel time it will take for the drifting rocks to show up.
     
  10. kmguru Staff Member

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    In a thousand years, we should have good size spaceship capabilities. May be we have to leave earth to find a suitable planet to settle down...
     
  11. Deadwood Registered Senior Member

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    kmguru, there is some quote that says the Earth is mans cradle.

    Also, to give a more Earthly perspective, I think that Asteriod would be one half or one quarter the diameter of Australia.
     
  12. kmguru Staff Member

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    11,757
    Deadwood:
    Elsewhere I posted that Earth may have a twin in the other side of our galaxy about 75,000 light years away. So for this half of the galaxy, we may be it.

    I will not be surprised if we are the only intelligent life in our Milky Way galaxy at this time. If we develop faster than light travel in the next 50 to 100 years, that will give validity to my theory. It will make your statement correct also and the other statement that we are created in His image will fit right in. This will only hold true for our Galaxy though.

    As God's creation, we should consider to be unique and carry out His wishes to populate the Galaxy - not as a polluting, fighting, back stabbing human race but with Love and Honor and in respect to our Creator.

    For all likelyhood, we may have a second coming of His Divine presence just after we reach FTL level. This time the entity will have power way beyond our the then advanced capability. We will learn from him/her as to the true nature of the Universe.
     
  13. The Evil Sponge Registered Member

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    Wow, I'm amazed these forums are the best I've ever seen! All of you people are so intelligent with valid arguments, without getting immiature about it and getting on each others cases by name calling. Wet1 thanks for the description.
    You people amaze me. You all deserve a pat on the back.
     
  14. Pkunk Registered Member

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    with regards to this i was sorta thinking that perhaps "God" isnt actually a "God" but just a life form of such high level that we simply cannot comprehend. When we achive a certain level or technological advancement (like FLT travel) he/she/it will reveal themselves because then we will be ready
     
  15. Flyer Registered Member

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    3
    Asteroids

    Hello:

    I have been very interested in all asteroids, but especially the ones who are listed as PHA's. I see that you know alot about this subject, what do you think about the many asteroids that come into our inner planetary system from Sun outwards to Mars? Just the orbits alone viewing from NEAT there seems to be many close encounters. I also wondered if a multi-orbit anology could be arranged showing all the asteroid orbits at the same time intervals in our inner solar system? I know I ask alot, but nobody seems to think it is necessary.

    Flyer
     
  16. wet1 Wanderer Registered Senior Member

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    Welcome to Sciforums, Flyer.
    There are several catagories of asteroids, and sub catagories within those. Now if I remember rightly the predominance of inner system asteroids are mainly ice balls. Good for fuel, water, ect. By inner I mean those within earth to mercury range. Not all, certainly not those with crossing obrits which contain more of the stony and metallic materials. While there is a mixture of materials the asteriods are mainly in one catagory or another. Those that are metallic contain higher precentages of pureness than can be found on earth in ores, running in the 70-90 percentile range.

    Somewhere I have run into such a chart, but at present I could not say where as it has been some time ago. I seem to remember that it was to scale and from a viewpoint beyond Pluto and also showed the Oort cloud and Kuniper region. Though the Oort cloud and Kuniper region are mainly guess work. Now where I saw that is the question. Some of the carboneaous (?) asteroids were/are thought to support the theory that the asteroid belt was a failed planet or was torn asunder by the gravity forces of Jupiter. While it has been the speculation that there is not enough mass from the total belt to make a planet, some of the newer ideas are that if you ripped a planet open suddenly, that the magma in a liquid core planet would under go sudden decompression. Going from tremendous pressure to vaccumn. This would cause a large amount of the material to vaporize. If this is so then this could account for the missing mass.
     
  17. WakeFunk Registered Member

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    Hey All,

    I am researching 2001 KX76 for a school project and I have not been able to find the magnitude of 2001 KX76. If anyone knows KX76's magnitude and could help me out that would be great.

    Thanks
     
  18. wet1 Wanderer Registered Senior Member

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