‘10th Planet’ Tops Size of Pluto, Team Confirms
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
A so-called 10th planet discovered last year is bigger than Pluto, scientists say they have confirmed.
The astronomers who spotted the icy, rocky body -- known as 2003 UB313 -- had reported only a rough estimate of its size based on its brightness.
By measuring how much heat the body radiates, German scientists led by Frank Bertoldi of the University of Bonn estimated that UB313 was 1,864 miles across, according to the report in the current issue of the journal Nature. Pluto has a diameter of about 1,429 miles.
The object’s name refers to a photo taken of it in 2003.
