Planet
August 23rd 2011 07:13
Category: Cosmic Objects
This is just my impression on what the object may look like.
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Snow White is the nickname given to a small minor planet located in the Kuiper Belt.
The official name is for this icy space traveller is 2007 OR10, I think snow white is appropriate.
The Kuiper belt continues on from Neptune's orbit and extends some three billion kilometers beyond it. This region of space has the most concentrated icy bodies yet detected . The Kuiper belt is also an active area of interest with astronomers. The Kuiper belt is a region where most of our comets come from.
Why is 2007 OR10, “Snow White “ Special?
Snow white has patches of red showing through the ice. The reddish pigmentation is most likely material from beneath the surface that has risen by volcanic activity.
After a one hour exposure “Snow White” shows the object as a tiny speck.: image obtained by Siding Spring Observatory
The other possibility is that over time solar radiation degraded the methane compound which consists of a carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms that decay forming reddish colour. Spectroscopic analysis conducted on Snow White strongly suggests the presence of ice and a trace of methane.
Although Snow White is difficult to see with Earth based telescopes,however the light reflected form the object will show up as colours just like the colours of the rainbow. The colours show the elemental composition of the object being studied.
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The spectrum revealed that the surface was covered in water ice deposits. Snow white is smaller than Pluto but has similar characteristics.
The object has an atmosphere of sorts and possibly had active volcanoes that are now dormant making it an interesting candidate for supporting some form of life.
Because the object has some reddish characteristics showing up on the surface the name
“Snow White” may change to “Little Red Riding Hood”
At best the images obtained form “Snow White” shows the object as a tiny speck. “Snow White” (2007 OR10) is a very small object much smaller than Pluto.
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The distance to “snow White is truly staggering yet there are perhaps many more objects of this nature roaming the icy depths of space we have yet to discover.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Would there be enough external heat to inspire some form of life, do you think? Or would the volcanic heat be enough? And what sort of life would it be? Bacterial, perhaps?
Comment by CMoreStars
Astroearth
Camera Sense
Hi S.L.
Yes we have to see the funny side of things....
Did grumpy get arrested for feeling Happy? ( Had to put that one in)
Ok some sort of life form... the prospect of life on these harsh world
Is hard to envisage I would venture to say that any life was microbial.
We can only speculate until we actually get there.