Planet Xena, discovered in 2003, is larger than Pluto and located in the Kuiper Belt. Its status as a planet is debated due to its irregular orbit and size. Its estimated size has been reduced, and a universal definition of a planet is needed to determine its status.
Planet Xena is a globe encircling the sun that was first discovered by astronomers Michael Brown, Chad Trujillo and David Rabinowitz in 2003. Its official name at this point is UB313. However, it was nicknamed Xena, after Xena, Warrior Princess, the popular TV show.
The first measurements estimated the planet Xena to be about 1,500-2,000 miles (about 2,500-3,500 km) in diameter. These measurements made UB313 about one and a half times larger than Pluto. Planet Xena is the largest globe discovered since Pluto was identified.
Further measurements estimated the planet Xena to be approximately 1.6 billion miles (about 15 billion km) from earth. This measurement places UB313 in the Kupier asteroid belt. Xena appears gray, which could indicate a surface of frozen methane gas. Scientists believe the temperature on Xena to be absolute zero. Observation in 2005 also revealed that the planet Xena has a moon, dubbed Gabrielle.
The discovery of UB313 has led to heated debate as to whether the planet Xena can technically be called a planet. The main denial of Xena’s planetary status was based on the evaluation of Xena’s orbital model. As planet Xena rotates the sun, it crosses Pluto’s orbit, so its orbit isn’t completely round. Astronomers have also pointed to UB313’s size as a reason to reject Xena as a planet.
Other astronomers rushed to defend the planet Xena. Since Xena is larger than Pluto, Xena is clearly a planet, these scientists argue. Also, if the orbital pattern determines whether an object is a planet, then Xena doesn’t differ significantly from Pluto. Pluto also has an unusual orbital pattern, which crosses the path of Neptune’s orbit.
The lack of scientific consensus on what determines a planet is at the heart of this debate. It is possible that if UB313 does not receive planetary status, Pluto may also be ousted from its current status. We can therefore study the eight planets in our solar system, instead of studying ten.
Further observations of Planet Xena reduced its original estimated size. UB313 is now thought to be only slightly larger than Pluto. This reduction in estimated size could weaken the position of those who support the Planet Xena concept. To determine whether UB313 is indeed a planet, scientists need to arrive at a universal consensus on the definition of a planet.
If classified as a planet, Xena will likely be renamed, as most planets derive their names from Greek and Roman mythology. Some astronomers wish to see this tradition continue and feel it denigrates a planet for naming it after a TV show. Regardless of the name and final state of Planet Xena, great excitement surrounds this discovery. Small planet Xena could also be the catalyst forcing a more precise definition of what characteristics determine planetary status.
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