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Spitzer to Size up Newly Found Planet

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Spitzer to Size up Newly Found Planet I n s i d e August 12, 2005 Volume 35 Number 16 News Briefs . 2 The story behind ‘JPL Stories’ . 3 Special Events Calendar . 2 Passings . 4 MRO launch postponed . 2 Letters, Classifieds . 4 Jet Propulsion Laborator y However, the object was so far away Spitzer that its motion was not detected until they reanalyzed the data in January of this year. In the last seven months, to size up the scientists have been studying the planet to better estimate its size and newly its motions. “It's definitely bigger than Pluto,” said found Brown, a professor of planetary astrono- my at Caltech. Scientists can infer the size of a solar planet system object by its brightness, just as one can infer the size of a faraway light bulb if one knows its wattage. The re- Artist’s concept of the flectance of the planet is not yet known. planet catalogued as Scientists cannot yet tell how much 2003UB313 at the light from the Sun is reflected away, lonely outer fringes of but the amount of light the planet re- our solar system. Later this month, the Spitzer Space Telescope flects puts a lower limit on its size. “Even if it reflected 100 percent of the light reaching it, it would Our Sun can be seen will look toward the recently discovered planet in the outlying regions of the solar system. The observation will still be as big as Pluto,” says Brown. “I'd say it’s probably one and a in the distance. bring new information on the size of the 10th planet, which lies half times the size of Pluto, but we’re not sure yet of the final size. Credit: NASA/JPL- beyond Pluto and is identified as 2003UB313. “We are 100 percent confident that this is the first object bigger Caltech/R. Hurt After the new object was announced, the Spitzer team discovered than Pluto ever found in the outer solar system,” Brown added. (SSC/Caltech) that the telescope’s previous observations of the object were unsuc- The planet is a typical member of the Kuiper belt, but its sheer cessful because of an error in the parameters used to target it. size in relation to the nine known planets means that it can only be A successful Spitzer detection will determine the object’s size. If classified as a planet, Brown said. Currently about 97 times farther Spitzer does not see it, astronomers will be able to place a solid from the Sun than Earth, the planet is the farthest-known object in upper limit on its size. the solar system, and the third brightest of the Kuiper belt objects. The object was discovered by Dr. Michael Brown of Caltech, “It will be visible with (Earth-based) telescopes over the next six along with Dr. Chad Trujillo of Gemini Observatory in Hawaii and months and is currently almost directly overhead in the early-morn- Dr. David Rabinowitz of Yale University in Connecticut. Brown, ing eastern sky, in the constellation Cetus,” said Brown. Trujillo and Rabinowitz first photographed the new planet with the A name for the new planet has been proposed by the discoverers 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory near San to the International Astronomical Union, and they are awaiting the Diego on October 31, 2003. decision of this body before announcing the name. Cassini flies by ‘Death Star’ Mimas, one of Saturn's most tortured moons By Carolina Martinez On its recent close flyby of Mimas, the Cassini spacecraft found The closest images show Mimas, measuring 397 kilometers the Saturnian moon looking battered and bruised, with a surface (247 miles) across, in the finest detail yet seen. that may be the most heavily cratered in the Saturn system. Scientists hope that analysis of the images will tell them how The Aug. 2 flyby of Saturn's ‘Death Star’ moon returned eye- many crater-causing impactors have coursed through the Saturn catching images of its most distinctive feature, the spectacular system, and where those objects might have come from. 140-kilometer diameter (87-mile) landslide-filled Herschel crater. There is also the suspicion, yet to be investigated, that the Numerous rounded and worn-out craters, craters within other cra- grooves, first discovered by NASA’s Voyager spacecraft but now ters and long grooves reminiscent of those seen on asteroids are seen up close, are related to the giant impact that caused the big- also seen in the new images. gest crater of all, Herschel, on the opposite side of the moon. A dramatic view of Mimas acquired near Cassini’s closest approach shows the battered moon against the backdrop of Saturn’s rings. Right: Mimas’ most distinc- tive feature is the Herschel crater in the upper right of the image. The crater is 140 kilometers (88 miles) wide with a prominent central peak. Spitzer finds hungry black holes ice, softened by heat from below, 2 Most of the biggest black holes resembles areas on Jupiter’s moons, U Europa and Ganymede.” pecial vents alendar n in the universe have been eating S E C i Cassini flew within 175 kilometers v cosmic meals behind closed doors e —until now. (109 miles) of Enceladus on July r 14. Data collected during that flyby Ongoing Support Groups Today: An Overview of Space Technol- s With its sharp infrared eyes, ogy Spin-Offs” at 7 p.m. Thursday in e NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope confirm an extended and dynamic at- Alcoholics Anonymous—Meets Wednes- peered through walls of galactic dust mosphere. This atmosphere was first days at 11:30 a.m. von Kármán Auditorium and Friday in to uncover what may be the long- detected by the magnetometer during Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum, Caregivers Support Group—Meets the sought missing population of hungry a distant flyby earlier this year. 1570 E. Colorado Blvd. Thursday’s lec- first Thursday of the month at noon in black holes known as quasars. The ion and neutral mass spec- ture will be webcast at www.jpl.nasa. News Building 167-111 (the Wellness Place). “From past studies using X-rays, trometer and the ultraviolet imaging gov/events/lectures/aug05.cfm. For we expected there were a lot of spectrograph found the atmosphere Codependents Anonymous—Meets at more information, call Public Services hidden quasars, but we couldn't find contains water vapor. The mass noon every Wednesday. at ext. 4-0112. Briefs them,” said Alejo Martínez-Sansigre spectrometer found the water vapor of the University of Oxford, England. comprises about 65 percent of the Lambda (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Wednesday, August 24 He is lead author of a paper about atmosphere, with molecular hydro- Transgender Networking Group)— the research in this week’s Nature. gen at about 20 percent. The rest Meets the first Friday and third Thurs- JPL Library Orientation—Stop by “We had to wait for Spitzer to find an is mostly carbon dioxide and some day of the month at noon in Building Building 111-104 at 11:30 a.m. for an entire population of these dust-ob- combination of molecular nitrogen 111-117. For more information, call overview of the Library’s products and scured objects.” Quasars are super- and carbon monoxide. The variation Randy Herrera, ext. 3-0664. services, and learn how to access nu- massive black holes that are circled of water vapor density with altitude merous electronic resources from your Parents Group for Children With Special by a giant ring of gas and dust. They suggests the water vapor may come desktop. For more information, call the Needs—Meets the second Thursday of live at the hearts of distant galaxies from a localized source comparable reference desk, ext. 4-4200. the month at noon in Building 167-111 and can consume up to the equiva- to a geothermal hot spot. The ultra- (the Wellness Place). lent mass of one thousand stars in violet results strongly suggest a local JPL Toastmasters Club—Meeting at 5 p.m. in conference room 167. Call a single year. As their black holes vapor cloud. For more information on any of the Dirk Runge, ext. 3-0465, or visit www. suck in material from their dusty support groups, call the Employee As- Life components in universe found jplcaltechtoastmasters.com. rings, the material lights up bril- sistance Program at ext. 4-3680. liantly, making quasars the brightest NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has found the ingredients for life objects in the universe. This bright Thursday, August 25 light comes in many forms, including all the way back to a time when the Wednesday, August 17 Clogging Class—Meets at noon in X-rays, visible and infrared light. universe was a mere youngster. JPL Library Orientation—Stop by Using Spitzer, scientists have de- Building 300-217. For more informa- Building 111-104 at 11:30 a.m. for an tected organic molecules in galaxies tion, call Shary DeVore at ext. 4-1024. 3 honored by Space Flight Awareness overview of the Library’s products and Three JPL employees who were when our universe was one-fourth services, and learn how to access nu- JPL Golf Club—Meeting at noon in selected as honorees in NASA’s of its current age of about 14 billion merous electronic resources from your Building 306-302. Space Flight Awareness Program years. These large molecules, known desktop. For more information, call the traveled to Florida the week of as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, reference desk, ext. 4-4200. July 11 to see the launch of Space are comprised of carbon and hydro- Friday, August 26 Shuttle Discovery.
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