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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!gatech!ut-sally!utastro!ethan
From: ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: tenth planet
Message-ID: <257@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Jan-86 12:29:04 EST
Article-I.D.: utastro.257
Posted: Fri Jan 10 12:29:04 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Jan-86 03:00:03 EST
References: <8601091719.AA14496@hplabsc>
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 23
Summary: chiron and charon

> > As I recall, Voyager (I or II) detected the tenth planet.  It lies
> > between Saturn and Uranus, and is rather small.  It has been named
> > Charon, (Roman god that paddles the boat across the River Styx, I
> > think).  This planet probably doesn't account for all of the
> > perturbations of Uranus and Neptune, either.
> 
> Charon is Pluto's moon, and was discovered by earth-based telescope.
> 
On the other hand, Chiron is the name of a small chunk of rock and
ice orbiting between Saturn and Uranus.  Its mass is much too small
to produce detectable perturbations in the motions of any of the
major planets.  Chiron, like the asteroids, is considered a minor
planet.

-- 
"These are not the opinions    Ethan Vishniac
 of the administration of      {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan
 the University of Texas,      ethan@astro.UTEXAS.EDU
 but they are the opinions     Department of Astronomy
 of your favorite deity, who   University of Texas
 is in daily communication 
 with me on this (and every 
 other) topic.