The Hunt for Planet X [e-book]: new worlds and the fate of Pluto

"__The Hunt for Planet X__ is a fascinating tale by one of the world's premier astronomy writers. Govert Schilling is not only scrupulously accurate, he writes beautifully as well." __Stephen P. Maran, Author of "Astronomy for Dummies" and Press Officer, American Astronomical Society__ "__The Hunt for Planet X__ is an adventure story or, more accurately, a series of adventure stories. Schilling tells them well, capturing both the science and the people involved. It starts with the classics: Uranus, Neptune and Pluto; and moves all over the solar system as ground-based astronomers and space scientists pour over measurements and observations to try to understand the worlds around us. Current debates about the Pioneer Anomaly and the definition of what is a planet make the book current as well as a good history."__Dr. Louis Friedman, Executive Director, The Planetary Society__ "This exciting tale of the centuries-old search for new planets in the solar system reads like a thriller. It is an adventure packed with fierce competition, brilliant discoveries, dumb errors, lucky coincidences and artful intrigue – in short, the full spectrum of the human drama. The story reaches an exciting climax in 2006, when we lost Pluto as a planet but gained a number of ice dwarfs in return. This colorful account chock-full of fascinating details is an excellent metaphor for the great adventure of science."__Robbert Dijkgraaf, Professor of Mathematical Physics at the University of Amsterdam__ __The Hunt for Planet X: New Worlds and the Fate of Pluto__ goes beyond a standard scientific read, encompassing who, and what, is involved in the pursuit of planetary endeavors. Touching on over three-hundred years of debates, debacles and discoveries, this book offers the reader insight into the minds and motives of planetary astronomers and their findings. The "hunt" continues to the outer-most regions of the solar system, and Govert Schilling states this search will not cease: "Astronomy is an adventurous science," he writes, and without adventure and those who seek it out the universe would otherwise remain mysterious. The real-life characters presented in __The Hunt for Planet X__ look for glimpses of light in the dark, from icy Kuiper Belt objects to full-fledged planets, in the process challenging how such worlds should be defined and ultimately describing the Universe. The Hunt for Planet X 2 Foreword 6 Contents 8 A Larger Solar System 13 Pea 15 Conjunction 16 Fuzzy Star 19 Eleven Planets 22 Quest 24 Point of Light 25 Fragments 27 The Writing Desk Planet 29 Orbital Deviations 31 Mathematical Genius 31 Not on the Map 33 Loss of Face 35 Search 37 ‘I’ve Found Your Planet X’ 38 Another Planet? 39 Lowell’s Hunt 41 New Searches for Planet X 42 Tombaugh’s Dedication 45 The Kid Planet 48 The Pluto Breakfast 50 Cartoon Character 52 Scrapbooks 54 A Strange and Wonderful Week 56 Missed Opportunity 57 Omen 59 Charon 62 Fortunate Circumstances 64 Atmosphere 65 Mr Pluto 67 Pure Luck 68 Odd Man Out 70 Nix and Hydra 73 Hubble Photos 74 Double Discovery 76 Confirmation 77 Names 79 Quibbling 80 The Unauthorized Planet 82 Painstaking Work 83 Rhadamanthus 86 Centaurs 87 Forbidden Zone 88 Uranus: Problem Solved? 91 Speculation 92 Humphrey 93 Exit Planet X 94 A Pinch of Salt 96 Mysterious Forces 98 Explorers 99 Precision Measurements 101 The Pioneer Anomaly 102 Planets Aplenty 103 The Hunt for the Death Star 105 Dinosaurs 106 Nemesis 108 Questions 110 A Remote Planet X 111 The Secret Planet 114 A Ready Pen 115 Conspiracy 116 Zetas 117 Mayas 119 Vulcanoids and Earth-Grazers 121 Vulcan 122 Astronomy by Fighter Jet 123 Earth-Grazers 125 Apophis 126 Danger of Impact 127 The Kuiper Connection 129 Beyond Neptune 131 The Kuiper Belt 132 Enormous Legacy 134 Comet Puzzles 137 The Oort Cloud 139 Roving Comets 140 Wriggling Dots 142 Simulations 143 Smiley 146 Uncertainties 147 White Mountain 150 Lucky Strike 152 Family Portraits 156 Plutinos 157 Speed Blinking 159 Mini-Feud 162 The Migrating Planet 165 Odyssey 166 Migration 169 Resonances 171 Icy Treasure Troves 174 Pitfalls 176 Pholus 178 Variety 180 The Big Five 182 Large Field of View 184 Quaoar 186 QUEST 188 Sedna 191 The Tenth Planet 194 Xena 196 Tenth Planet 198 Lila 200 The Spanish Invasion 203 Andalusian Catch 204 Google 206 Typing Error 208 IP Addresses 210 Secrecy 211 Pas de deux 214 Big Whack 216 Icy Duos 218 Confirmation 219 Model from Nice 222 Strange Pair 223 Migration and Resonance 225 Bombardment 228 Planet Under Siege 231 Demotion 232 Pluto Soap Opera 234 Wanted: A Definition 237 Planetary Elections 240 Dwarf Planets 242 Rebellion 244 Foul Play 245 The Continuing Story 249 Eris and Dysnomia 250 Buffy 252 A Hundred Thousand Ice Dwarfs 254 A Thousand Planets 258 Indirect Clues 259 Origins 262 Mysteries 264 New Horizons 267 Pluto Fast Flyby 268 A Fresh Start 270 Souvenirs from Earth 271 Chronology 276 Glossary of terms 282 Bibliography 286 Index 287 " The Hunt for Planet X is a fascinating tale by one of the world's premier astronomy writers. Govert Schilling is not only scrupulously accurate, he writes beautifully as well." Stephen P. Maran, Author of "Astronomy for Dummies" and Press Officer, American Astronomical Society " The Hunt for Planet X is an adventure story or, more accurately, a series of adventure stories. Schilling tells them well, capturing both the science and the people involved. It starts with the classics: Uranus, Neptune and Pluto; and moves all over the solar system as ground-based astronomers and space scientists pour over measurements and observations to try to understand the worlds around us. Current debates about the Pioneer Anomaly and the definition of what is a planet make the book current as well as a good history." Dr. Louis Friedman, Executive Director, The Planetary Society "This exciting tale of the centuries-old search for new planets in the solar system reads like a thriller. It is an adventure packed with fierce competition, brilliant discoveries, dumb errors, lucky coincidences and artful intrigue – in short, the full spectrum of the human drama. The story reaches an exciting climax in 2006, when we lost Pluto as a planet but gained a number of ice dwarfs in return. This colorful account chock-full of fascinating details is an excellent metaphor for the great adventure of science." Robbert Dijkgraaf, Professor of Mathematical Physics at the University of Amsterdam The Hunt for Planet X: New Worlds and the Fate of Pluto goes beyond a standard scientific read, encompassing who, and what, is involved in the pursuit of planetary endeavors. Touching on over three-hundred years of debates, debacles and discoveries, this book offers the reader insight into the minds and motives of planetary astronomers and their findings. The "hunt" continues to the outer-most regions of the solar system, and Govert Schilling states this search will not cease: "Astronomy is an adventurous science," he writes, and without adventure and those who seek it out the universe would otherwise remain mysterious. The real-life characters presented in The Hunt for Planet X look for glimpses of light in the dark, from icy Kuiper Belt objects to full-fledged planets, in the process challenging how such worlds should be defined and ultimately describing the Universe. The Hunt For Planet X: New Worlds And The Fate Of Pluto Goes Beyond A Standard Scientific Read, Encompassing Who, And What, Is Involved In The Pursuit Of Planetary Endeavors. Touching On Over Three-hundred Years Of Debates, Debacles And Discoveries, This Book Offers The Reader Insight Into The Minds And Motives Of Planetary Astronomers And Their Findings. The Hunt Continues To The Outer-most Regions Of The Solar System, And Govert Schilling States This Search Will Not Cease: Astronomy Is An Adventurous Science, He Writes, And Without Adventure And Those Who Seek It Out The Universe Would Otherwise Remain Mysterious. The Real-life Characters Presented In The Hunt For Planet X Look For Glimpses Of Light In The Dark, From Icy Kuiper Belt Objects To Full-fledged Planets, In The Process Challenging How Such Worlds Should Be Defined And Ultimately Describing The Universe.--jacket. A Larger Solar System -- Eleven Planets -- The Writing Desk Planet -- 'i've Found Your Planet X' -- The Kid Planet -- A Strange And Wonderful Week -- Fortunate Circumstances -- Nix And Hydra -- The Unauthorized Planet -- Uranus: Problem Solved? -- Mysterious Forces -- The Hunt For The Death Star -- The Secret Planet -- Vulcanoids And Earth-grazers -- The Kuiper Connection -- Comet Puzzles -- Smiley -- Family Portraits -- The Migrating Planet -- Icy Treasure Troves -- The Big Five -- The Tenth Planet -- The Spanish Invasion -- Pas De Deux -- Model From Nice -- Planet Under Siege -- Planetary Elections -- The Continuing Story -- A Thousand Planets -- New Horizons. Govert Schilling. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 295) And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii A Larger Solar System....Pages 1-9 Eleven Planets....Pages 11-17 The Writing Desk Planet....Pages 19-27 ‘I’ve Found Your Planet X’....Pages 29-38 The Kid Planet....Pages 39-46 A Strange and Wonderful Week....Pages 47-54 Fortunate Circumstances....Pages 55-63 Nix and Hydra....Pages 65-73 The Unauthorized Planet....Pages 75-83 Uranus: Problem Solved?....Pages 85-91 Mysterious Forces....Pages 93-99 The Hunt for the Death Star....Pages 101-109 The Secret Planet....Pages 111-117 Vulcanoids and Earth-Grazers....Pages 119-126 The Kuiper Connection....Pages 127-134 Comet Puzzles....Pages 135-143 Smiley....Pages 145-154 Family Portraits....Pages 155-163 The Migrating Planet....Pages 165-173 Icy Treasure Troves....Pages 175-182 The Big Five....Pages 183-194 The Tenth Planet....Pages 195-203 The Spanish Invasion....Pages 205-215 Pas de deux....Pages 217-224 Model from Nice....Pages 225-233 Planet Under Siege....Pages 235-243 Planetary Elections....Pages 245-253 The Continuing Story....Pages 255-263 A Thousand Planets....Pages 265-273 New Horizons....Pages 275-282 Back Matter....Pages 1-19 The Hunt for Planet X: New Worlds and the Fate of Pluto goes beyond a standard scientific read, encompassing who, and what, is involved in the pursuit of planetary endeavors. Touching on over three hundred years of debates, debacles and discoveries, this book offers the reader insight into the minds and motives of planetary astronomers and their findings. The "hunt" continues to the outer-most regions of the solar system, and Govert Schilling states this search will not cease: "Astronomy is an adventurous science," he writes, and without adventure and those who seek it out the universe would otherwise remain mysterious. The real-life characters presented in The Hunt for Planet X look for glimpses of light in the dark, from icy Kuiper Belt objects to full-fledged planets, in the process challenging how such worlds should be defined and ultimately describing the Universe. This book is written for astronomy and space enthusiasts and people who want to understand how astronomy discoveries are made in reality. - Publisher. Ever since the serendipitous discovery of planet Uranus in 1871, astronomers have been hunting for new worlds in the outer regions of our solar system. This exciting and ongoing quest culminated recently in the discovery of hundreds of ice dwarfs in the Kuiper belt, robbed Pluto from its ‘planet’ status, and led to a better understanding of the origin of the solar system. This timely book reads like a scientific ‘who done it’, going from the heights of discovery to the depths of disappointment in the hunt for ‘Planet X’. Based on many personal interviews with astronomers, the well-known science writer Govert Schilling introduces the heroes in the race to be the first in finding another world, bigger than Pluto. A larger solar system Eleven planets The writing desk planet I've found your Planet X The kid planet A strange and wonderful week Fortunate circumstances Nix and hydra The unauthorized planet Uranus : problem solved? Mysterious forces The hunt for the death star The secret planet Vulcanoids and Earth-grazers The Kuiper connection Comet puzzles Smiley Family portraits The migrating planet Icy treasure troves The big five The tenth planet The Spanish invasion Pas de deux Model from Nice Planet under siege Planetary elections The continuing story A thousand planets New horizons Table : Details of a number of large ice dwarfs Chronology Glossary of terms Bibliography