The new findings fill in some blanks about Eris. The International Astronomical Union, which sets definitions for planetary science, recognizes five dwarf planets - Ceres, Haumea and Makemake, in addition to Eris and Pluto - though dozens more may qualify. "On Eris, you could block out the sun with the head of a pin," Brown said.Įris and Pluto reside beyond Neptune, the outermost of our solar system's eight plants. Standing on Eris, it would look like dusk at midday due to its great distance from the sun, which would appear like no more than a particularly bright star in the sky. "The moon always presents the same face to the Earth, but the Earth does not return the favor," Nimmo said. Pluto has this same arrangement with its moon Charon, while the Earth-moon system differs. This process has gone to completion: Eris and Dysnomia always present the same face to the other," Nimmo said. "Just like the Earth-moon system, tides on Eris slowly push Dysnomia away and slow down the spin of Eris. Dysnomia, named after the mythological daughter of Eris, is about 440 miles (700 km) in diameter and composed mostly of ice.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |