Even the Earth has more than one natural satellite

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/second_moon

 

Have A Nice __________ 

 I did'nt mean to assume all planets have moons, but rather only planets can have a moon or moons. Asteroids can can have a "companion" but not a moon. Stars also have companions but not moons. So, just because Pluto has "companions" doesn't make it a planet. That's all I was trying to say.

tkerr wrote:

Even the Earth has more than one natural satellite http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/second_moon   Have A Nice __________

I didn't know about this...interesting...thanks tkerr!

Tuugii

Tuugii wrote:

tkerr wrote: Even the Earth has more than one natural satellite http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/second_moon   Have A Nice __________  I didn't know about this...interesting...thanks tkerr! Tuugii

I am not sure about this so don't quote me on it, but I think I heard somewhere that there are currently more objects caught in an orbit around the Earth. Can't remember how many they said it was, but it was more than a just a couple.

 

Have A Nice _________ 

Charon orbits Pluto.The scientific proof?Pluto does not revolve around Charon as well,or should I said not tidally locked onto as the Double Asteroid Antiope!!Evidence?Pluto DOES NOT transit Charon,from a view.

jsmoody wrote:

I don't know where you got that idea.  Almost all other moons are like that.  Maybe all.  I've never heard of one that's orbit wasn't in or near the plane of the planet's equator. The same thing as the planets, they orbit in or near the plane of the Sun's equator.  Another reason Pluto shouldn't be called a planet, because it doesn't

Pluto's moons system currently have 3 known moons.This is a website of evidence that they orbit nearly in the same plane,click here

What I meant by others arent the same is that all the moons dont.For example,Triton orbits Neptune 25Degrees of the plane,Nereid,Proteus and others arent the same as Triton!And they are not so-the same as each other of the other 12 irregular moons as well?.The smaller number of moons the celestial object(In order not to get into another planet-defination arguement with Jsmoody)the chaces that they orbit in nearly the same plane.For us,Earth,we're lucky we're not in any of those catergories.For Mars,I dont know so I will not make assumptions.

ASTRONOMYDOMINE wrote:

I did'nt mean to assume all planets have moons, but rather only planets can have a moon or moons. Asteroids can can have a "companion" but not a moon. Stars also have companions but not moons. So, just because Pluto has "companions" doesn't make it a planet. That's all I was trying to say.

You'll notice that "companion" and satellite are used interchangably at http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/astro/asteroidmoons.html and satellite is the original term for the more commonly used "moon" (a moon is now defined as a natural satellite) so asteroids can and do, in fact, have "moons".

Dave Mitsky

Haha.I have to agree with Dave again.

 I stand corrected. But I think it would be more appropriate to call Plutos "moons", satellites! You wouldn't say an asteroid has a moon would you? Even though moons are also refered to satellites. You also wouldn't equate a man made satellite for a moon. Never the less, I still find Pluto & its three satellites interesting.

ASTRONOMYDOMINE wrote:

I stand corrected. But I think it would be more appropriate to call Plutos "moons", satellites! You wouldn't say an asteroid has a moon would you? Even though moons are also refered to satellites. You also wouldn't equate a man made satellite for a moon. Never the less, I still find Pluto & its three satellites interesting.

Well if we use the word satellite,we will also refer to our man-made satellites.So we should either say anything that revolves around a celestial object(except rings)is either a 'moon' or a 'natural satellite'.

If you are interested:

http://skytonight.com/news/Earth_Second__Moon.html 

 

Have A Nice _________ 

Gee, I just sought out a bit of irony pertaining to the first intiials of both Hydra & Nix: It seems, if not deliberately to be that the intials H and N were inceptively applied to the impending New Horizons mission which transiently curtailed on an excursion to Jupiter in the previous months to investigate the rudiments of its atmosphere, surface composition, and satellites, while also procuring a gravity assist to resume the ride out to this pitiful cast-out of ephemeral fame. Nix may just be the smaller of the two (its counterpart Hydra) in essence with its albedo, or reflectivity, this being about 4% and akin to some of the darkest Kuiper Belt objects, yet only if it were to have a diameter of 130km, which is an enigma hitherto.  

Wow, I just read the article tkerr informed us about, its kind of exciting, I woud love to see the objects of which they are speaking about. Could the HST find them and photograph them or some Earth bound telescope ? or have we already done this   

 

moon, definition: a natural satellite of a planet.

Pluto has three moons.

Pluto is a planet.

WHY does a planet HAVE to clear its neighborhood of other objects before becoming a planet?

By that logic Jupiter may NOT be a planet because of the Trojan Asteroids.

Shoot, Earth and Mars may not be planets either because of the asteroid belt. They consider Pluto's neighborhood to extend 20 AU or more beyond Pluto's orbit, yet the asteroid belt is less than 2 AU (average) from the Earth.

Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt, has moons as well.

Well I am convinced, Pluto is a natural satellite of the Sun and it's three moons are smaller natural satellites.