Apr 12 2006
What Are These Planets Coming To?
In the outer reaches of the solar system lies a band of icy rocks called the Kuiper Belt. Several objects detected within the Belt are planet-sized and the largest detected to date is designated “2003 UB313.” It is probably slightly larger that Pluto. Astronomers at the Keck Observatory have proposed that UB313 be renamed Xena, after the TV action heroine.
Last September, using the Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics (LGS AO) system at Keck, “Xena” was found to have a moon. Not surprisingly, the Keck-ites are proposing that the moon be named Gabrielle, after Xena’s sidekick.
If the names are approved by the International Astronomical Union, it would make the pair of objects the largest ever named for lesbian action heroes. Come on, we can do better than that…
