It had to happen. Someone finally looked up. Not straight up, but at an angle of about 45º to the ecliptic.

And LO!!!!

"BREAKING NEWS: Object Bigger than Pluto Discovered, Called 10th Planet
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 29 July 2005
07:59 pm ET
Updated at 11:17 p.m. ET :

Astronomers have discovered an object in our solar system that is larger than Pluto. They are calling it the 10th planet, but already that claim is contested.

The new world's size is not at issue. But the very definition of planethood is.

It is the first time an object so big has been found in our solar system since the discovery of Pluto 75 years ago"

More at Space.com's story.


Oddly enough it was a double-whammy week for astronomers looking for planets, who have only "gotten lucky" about a dozen times in the last 4,000 years, if you count the ones found in other systems.

They found ANOTHER one, slightly smaller than Jupiter (70%) but much lighter, and possessing a moon, in orbit out past Neptune.

Here's da story.

A heady day for planet-seekers, eh? Good thing, too -- they don't get many of them!!

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