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New moon discovered around Pluto!

By
Home Builder with Winslow Homes

Some of you may already be aware of this, and some of you may not be aware that dwarft planet Pluto has 3 moons already, much less any!

Earlier in June astronomers were looking at Pluto with the Hubble telescope, trying to see if they could locate rings around Pluto.  They have theorized there may be rings around Pluto, and the New Horizons Mission will go by Pluto in 2015 to try and confirm if there are or not.

 

2 shots showing the 4th moon of Pluto

 

So back to the main dish!  Pluto has a 4th moon, temporarily named P4.  Yes, very original.  Pluto, #4.  Got it.

 

The new moon orbits outside of the orbit of Nix, and inside the orbit of Hydra.  This makes it the 3rd farthest out from Pluto, but the dimmest of the moons.  The also means it is the smallest moon of the four.

 

 

P4 is thought to be about 8-24 miles across, or no bigger than a small city.    That's pretty big on earth if you're trying to drive around it, but that's pretty small out there in space!  You could easily miss that and never know it!


And this story probably received so little fanfare, you probably missed it as well.  That is, if you're not reading my blog.

 

 

Marge Draper
Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto - Menlo Park, CA
REALTOR, Keller Williams Realty, Menlo Park CA

Jeremy,  I did miss that news about Pluto!  In fact, I now know more about Pluto than I ever did.  The last I heard the scientists had down graded Pluto from a planet.  But if it might have rings that makes it a different story.  Still pretty darn cold though, I bet.  Thanks for widening my horizons!

Jul 23, 2011 09:37 AM
Jeremy Wrenn
Winslow Homes - Youngsville, NC
VP of Finance, Winslow Homes

Marge, you are correct that Pluto is no longer a planet.  It is considered a dwarf planet, though, and still of interesting study and significance to our solar system.

Glad you were able to find out more about Pluto than you already knew!

Jul 23, 2011 10:11 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Thx for sharing.  I had missed this..until now.  I bet we miss a lot of moons since they are far and they may be blocked by planets.  Sometimes, we just need better technology and sometimes just more time for it to be unblocked, esp when they are far away.

I love astronomy.  seems we are always discovering more things.

Jul 23, 2011 11:11 AM
Jeremy Wrenn
Winslow Homes - Youngsville, NC
VP of Finance, Winslow Homes

Yeah, I'm sure that there is more we DON'T know is out there than what we do know about, Debbie.  Discovery is what astronomy is all about!

Jul 23, 2011 11:51 AM
Donald Hester
NCW Home Inspections, LLC - Wenatchee, WA
NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Jeremy,

Great post. I actually have not seen this on Pluto so thanks for sharing. My astronomy has been laking of late. Jeez and poor little Pluto lost it status but has gained a moon!

I need to get to a big tele soon and do some gazing.

Jul 24, 2011 05:08 PM
Jeremy Wrenn
Winslow Homes - Youngsville, NC
VP of Finance, Winslow Homes

Thanks, Donald!  I bet you have some great viewing opportunities at your house!

Jul 25, 2011 12:54 AM