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COMETS EARTH JUPITER KUIPER BELT MARS MERCURY METEORITES NEPTUNE OORT CLOUD PLUTO SATURN SOLAR SYSTEM SPACE SUN URANUS VENUS ORDER PRINTS
PHOTO CATEGORIES SCIENCEVIEWS AMERICAN INDIAN AMPHIBIANS BIRDS BUGS FINE ART FOSSILS THE ISLANDS HISTORICAL PHOTOS MAMMALS OTHER PARKS PLANTS RELIGIOUS REPTILES SCIENCEVIEWS PRINTS
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This image is shows a small part of the discovery frames of 1993 SC, one of the brightest Kuiper-Belt objects so far discovered. It was taken using the 2.5m Isaac Newton Telescope on La Palma by Alan Fitzsimmons, Iwan Williams and Donal O'Ceallaigh on 17th September 1994. The two images are separated in time by 4.6 hours, and by comparing them it is clear that one of the objects has moved from upper left of center to almost merging with the image of a distant galaxy. This motion marks it as being a distant member of our solar system, further away than the planet Neptune. Subsequent observations over the past year confirm that it is currently 34.0 AU from the sun but with a moderate orbital eccentricity of 0.18 it may travel as far as 48 AU. Assuming that it reflects light much like other primitive asteroids and comets in the out solar system, the diameter is around 300 km, or just a quarter the size of Pluto's moon Charon. |
