The 10th Planet

1
The 10th Planet

• Holly Hasper
• Central Michigan University

2

• On March 15, 2004 astronomers announced that they
  discovered a new planetoid object named Sedna.
• Sedna is 8 billion miles from Earth.
• More than 84 billion miles from the sun.

3

• Largest object to be found circling the sun since
  1930.
• The planetoid object is smaller than Pluto.
• Sedna may even have its own little moon.

4

• Sedna is red in color.
• Made of ice and rock.
• A very cold planet.
• Three-quarters the size of Pluto.

5

• Sednas temperature is 400 degrees below zero
  Fahrenheit.
• It is so cold because it is so far from the sun.
• It is the coldest known object in the solar
  system.

6

• Sedna is named for an Inuit goddess.
• She created sea creatures of the Artic.
• Sedna is thought to live in a frozen cave on the
  bottom of the ocean.

7

• It takes 10,000 years to orbit the sun.
• Thought to be an empty area of space.
• Sedna is close to the Oort Cloud and the Kuiper
  Belt.

8

• The planetoid object was discovered by a
  telescope in San Diego, California.
• NASA is unsure how to classify the object
• Either as planet or Kuiper Belt oject.
• Size and presence of a moon are determining
  factors.

9

• Some astronomers feel that Pluto should not be
  classified as a planet.
• It should, along with Sedna, be a Kuiper Belt
  object.
• It will take many months to thoroughly research
  Sedna.
• But, scientists may never decide on it planetary
  status.

10

• New technology and telescopes will make further
  space exploration possible.
• Scientists already know that there are larger
  objects beyond Sedna.
• We may end up with more than 9 planets.
• Sednas planetary status though is still on hold
  for now.