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Physics & Astronomy News
Suspected Asteroid Crash Leaves Odd Debris Trail
Source: JPL/NASA   Posted: 2/8/2010
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has observed a mysterious X-shaped debris pattern and trailing streamers of dust that suggest a head-on collision between two asteroids.
Full story...
Glitter-sized solar photovoltaics produce competitive results
Source: Sandia   Posted: 2/8/2010
Scientists have developed tiny glitter-sized photovoltaic cells that could revolutionize the way solar energy is collected and used.
Full story...
New Hubble Maps of Pluto Show Surface Changes
Source: NASA   Posted: 2/8/2010
NASA released the most detailed set of images ever taken of the distant dwarf planet Pluto. Pluto has become significantly redder, while its illuminated northern hemisphere is getting brighter.
Full story...
Learning from toys
Source: Harvard   Posted: 2/8/2010
Researchers gauge how entropy works by creating models.
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Pluto: Beyond Neptune Or Not?

by Gene Mascoli and ScienceIQ.com

Artist Rendition of Pluto, its moon Charon and spacecraft.
Artist Rendition of Pluto, its moon Charon and spacecraft.


Image Courtesy NSSDC

Did I catch you? Pluto (newly classified as a dwarf-planet) comes after planet Neptune. Right? Depends. Pluto takes 248 years to orbit the Sun. Most of that time Pluto's orbit puts it outside the orbit of Neptune. But, for 20 years out of each orbit cycle, Pluto's orbit brings it closer to the Sun than Neptune. Most recently, Pluto was in 8th place from February, 1979 until February, 1999. Now, it's back beyond Neptune, and will stay there for the next 200 years.

Pluto is the only ex-planet (now a dwarf-planet) in our solar system to have this orbital characteristic. This is caused by its very elongated orbital path. Most planets travel around the Sun in an elliptical orbit that is closer in shape to a circle. They pretty much remain the same distance from the Sun during their annual trip. This is true of Neptune. But Pluto's orbital distance from the Sun varies by over 1.86 billion miles (about 3 billion km), enough to cause its orbital anomaly.

Don't worry about Pluto colliding with Neptune though. Pluto's different in that respect as well. Rather than orbiting on a relatively flat plane as the other planets do, Pluto's orbit brings it above and over the orbit of Neptune. Their paths don't cross.

For more science facts like this one go to: ScienceIQ.com


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J. Robert Oppenheimer'There must be no barriers for freedom of inquiry. There is no place for dogma in science. The scientist is free, and must be free to ask any question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors.'

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