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Article: Finding a Kuiper belt king. (Hefty Discovery).
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- October 12, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A newly discovered celestial body appears to be the largest object that scientists have found in the solar system since their detection of Pluto in 1930. Designated 2002 LM60, it's unofficially known as Quaoar (pronounced Kwa-whar) after a Native American god.
Residing in the Kuiper belt, the reservoir of comets and other frozen bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune, Quaoar measures 1,300 kilometers in diameter, more than half the width of Pluto. Along with the finding of several other Kuiper belt behemoths over the past 2 years, the discovery suggests the region may harbor even larger bodies.
Michael E. Brown and Chadwick A. Trujillo of the California ...