fossilesque@mander.xyzM to Science Memes@mander.xyzEnglish · 2 months agoPluto's Orbitmander.xyzimagemessage-square31fedilinkarrow-up11arrow-down10
arrow-up11arrow-down1imagePluto's Orbitmander.xyzfossilesque@mander.xyzM to Science Memes@mander.xyzEnglish · 2 months agomessage-square31fedilink
minus-squaresuperkret@feddit.orglinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·2 months agoHow can we even know it’s a planet when we haven’t observed a single orbit, yet? Maybe it’s just a really big comet.
minus-squareGladaed@feddit.orglinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·2 months agoIt’s not really big. There are multiple Pluto like planetoids. Also there is a hunk of rock in the asteroid belt youcould name a planet.
minus-squarepsud@aussie.zonelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·2 months agoCeres is more than a third of the mass of the asteroid belt. It’s at least an order of magnitude bigger than anything else in its orbit. It’s hardly a hunk of rock
minus-squaredeadbeef79000@lemmy.nzlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·2 months agoWe’ve observed enough of its orbit to know what shape it is.
minus-squareNeatoBuilds@mander.xyzlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·2 months agoHow can you be so sure it doesn’t just decide to leave
minus-squareKSP Atlas@sopuli.xyzlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·2 months agoBy measuring how fast it’s moving and where it is you can find the orbit
How can we even know it’s a planet when we haven’t observed a single orbit, yet?
Maybe it’s just a really big comet.
It’s not really big. There are multiple Pluto like planetoids. Also there is a hunk of rock in the asteroid belt youcould name a planet.
Ceres is more than a third of the mass of the asteroid belt. It’s at least an order of magnitude bigger than anything else in its orbit. It’s hardly a hunk of rock
We’ve observed enough of its orbit to know what shape it is.
How can you be so sure it doesn’t just decide to leave
And who could blame it?
By measuring how fast it’s moving and where it is you can find the orbit