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Science

(101,294 posts)

13. Pluto has moons; it has not cleared its orbit, and is not an IAU planet

Fri May 31, 2013, 03:23 AM

May 2013

and neither is QE2. Its orbit crosses that of Mars and the asteroid belt. Not only does it have close encounters with Earth (<0.04 AU), it has them with Vesta too (<0.02 AU): http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroids/1998QE2/1998QE2_planning.html

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Surprise, Asteroid 1998 QE2 has a moon! [View all] DreamGypsy May 2013 OP

Who knew something that small could have a moon! CaliforniaPeggy May 2013 #1

Gee, I'm a lot less than 1.7 miles in diameter ... DreamGypsy May 2013 #3

Thank you for looking that up. It's fascinating! CaliforniaPeggy May 2013 #4

When did the IAU declare 1998 QE to be a dwarf planet? DreamGypsy May 2013 #6

Argue as you will ... DreamGypsy May 2013 #9

Except it hasn't cleared its orbit. Angleae May 2013 #12

Pluto has moons; it has not cleared its orbit, and is not an IAU planet muriel_volestrangler May 2013 #13

Time for a (Jonathan) Swiftie… Jackpine Radical May 2013 #5

Ah, Swiftie's, I know your Jonathan, but the ones I favor are Tom ... DreamGypsy May 2013 #8

+1000 DeSwiss May 2013 #10

Maybe that isn't a moon. Unknown Beatle May 2013 #11