Solar System Object Larger than Pluto Discovered
			
		
		
		
			Is that a tenth planet?  
A faint, slowly moving dot 
discovered by computer shows clear signs of being a deep 
Solar System 
object at least as large as 
Pluto.  
The object, designated 2003 UB313, is currently 
situated nearly 100 times the 
Earth-Sun distance -- over twice the 
average Pluto-Sun distance.  
That far out, the only way a single round object 
could be as bright as 2003 UB313 would be if 
it is at least as large as Pluto and 
completely reflective.  
Since 2003 UB313 is surely 
not completely reflective, it could be substantially larger.  
One of the discovery frames is shown above digitally expanded and 
artificially brightened. 
2003 UB313 was 
identified initially on frames taken by the automated 1.2-meter 
Samuel Oschin Telescope at 
Palomar Observatory> in 
California, 
USA.