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Hubble Finds ‘Tenth Planet’ is Slightly Larger than Pluto (Artist Concept)
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- Full-Res JPEG (4800 x 3600) (1.2 MB)
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Caption:
This is an artist's concept of Kuiper Belt object 2003 UB313 (nicknamed "Xena") and its satellite "Gabrielle."
Ground-based observations suggested that Xena was about 30 percent greater in diameter than Pluto, but Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys images, taken on Dec. 9 and 10, 2005, yielded a diameter of 1,490 miles (with an uncertainty of 60 miles) for Xena. Pluto's diameter, as measured by Hubble, is 1,422 miles.
Xena is the large object at the bottom of this artist's concept. A portion of its surface is lit by the Sun, located in the upper left corner of the image. Xena's companion, Gabrielle, is located just above and to the left of Xena.
Cataloging Keywords:
| Name | Value | Additional Values |
|---|---|---|
| Target | 136199 Eris | 2003 UB313 |
| System | Kuiper Belt | |
| Target Type | Dwarf Planet | KBO |
| Mission | Hubble Space Telescope (HST) | |
| Instrument Host | Hubble Space Telescope | |
| Host Type | Space Telescope | |
| Instrument | ||
| Detector | ||
| Extra Keywords | Artwork, Color | |
| Acquisition Date | ||
| Release Date | 2006-04-11 | |
| Date in Caption | ||
| Image Credit | NASA/ESA/STScI | |
| Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17801 | |
| Identifier | PIA17801 | |
