Bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres, what is it?

[SportsGuy41017]

'Bright Spot' on Ceres Has Dimmer Companion | NASA

[Getslow]

'Bright Spot' on Ceres Has Dimmer Companion | NASA

 

Was looking at this last night. It'll be interesting to see what they turn up. Some sort of gas ejection from below the surface that's hitting the reflective light properly from the angle at which NASA's craft is approaching?

[SportsGuy41017]

I'll guess water.

[Getslow]

I'll guess water.

 

Man I hope so. What a big moment that would be.

[75center]

Eyes. Be afraid, be very afraid.

[UKMustangFan]

What exactly is a "Dwarf Planet"?

[Getslow]

What exactly is a "Dwarf Planet"?

 

It's a body that meets some -- but not all -- of the criteria for being designated a planet. Ceres, like the recently re-designated Pluto, orbits the sun and has its forces in the appropriate equilibrium to hold the body together. However, it has not "cleared the neighborhood" which is the euphemism for being the only body in its particular orbit using its own mass to either eject or absorb the other bodies. It's why things in the asteroid belt aren't categorized as planets; too many other things that no body has as yet been large enough to get rid of.

[Wireman]

I think we should send a team of lightly trained oil drillers to Ceres and see if they can find water.

[stickymitts]

Leave it to BGP to remind me how dumb I am.

[UKMustangFan]

However, it has not "cleared the neighborhood" which is the euphemism for being the only body in its particular orbit using its own mass to either eject or absorb the other bodies. It's why things in the asteroid belt aren't categorized as planets; too many other things that no body has as yet been large enough to get rid of.

 

I got the 1st two sentences, but this part just confuses me more. Say what? :lol2:

[UKMustangFan]

Leave it to BGP to remind me how dumb I am.

 

You and me both. :thumb:

[Getslow]

I got the 1st two sentences, but this part just confuses me more. Say what? :lol2:

 

So any body that orbits the sun does so in a certain path. Venus orbits the sun at about 67 million miles away on average. Mars at about 140 million miles from the sun. The Earth sits in between at about 93 million miles.

 

In that window. Between Mars and Venus where the Earth sits and orbits, there are no other objects orbiting besides the Earth and the Moon. Earth has either absorbed them with it's own gravity or tossed them out of its orbit. Nothing else orbits the sun at approximately 93 million miles give or take a couple million in either direction.

[UKMustangFan]

So any body that orbits the sun does so in a certain path. Venus orbits the sun at about 67 million miles away on average. Mars at about 140 million miles from the sun. The Earth sits in between at about 93 million miles.

 

In that window. Between Mars and Venus where the Earth sits and orbits, there are no other objects orbiting besides the Earth and the Moon. Earth has either absorbed them with it's own gravity or tossed them out of its orbit. Nothing else orbits the sun at approximately 93 million miles give or take a couple million in either direction.

 

Okay, that one I understand. Thank you sir! :thumb:

[spindoc]

What exactly is a "Dwarf Planet"?

 

It's where GT will live one day.

[stickymitts]

So any body that orbits the sun does so in a certain path. Venus orbits the sun at about 67 million miles away on average. Mars at about 140 million miles from the sun. The Earth sits in between at about 93 million miles.

 

In that window. Between Mars and Venus where the Earth sits and orbits, there are no other objects orbiting besides the Earth and the Moon. Earth has either absorbed them with it's own gravity or tossed them out of its orbit. Nothing else orbits the sun at approximately 93 million miles give or take a couple million in either direction.

 

So Earth is Hitler? Great. Just great.