New KBO: "Buffy"

[ToSeek]

Discovery of "Buffy", a large Kuiper Belt object with an unusual orbit

A team of astronomers working in Canada, France and the United States have discovered an unusual small body orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune, in the region astronomers call the Kuiper belt. This new object is twice as far from the Sun as Neptune and is roughly half the size of Pluto. The body, temporarily code-named "Buffy", has a highly unusual orbit which is difficult to explain using previous theories of the formation of the outer Solar System.
...
Most of these high-eccentricity orbits are the result of Neptune "flinging" the object outward by a gravitational slingshot. However, because this new object does not approach closer than 50 AU, a different theory is needed to explain its orbit. Complicating the problem, the object's orbit also has an extreme tilt, being inclined (tilted) at 47 degrees to the rest of the Solar System.

[Wolverine]

Nice. But... Buffy?

[R.A.F.]

The body, temporarily code-named "Buffy", has a highly unusual orbit which is difficult to explain using previous theories of the formation of the outer Solar System.

Wait till ADIM sees this! He's going to be insufferable.

[Tuckerfan]

And I thought "Xena" was a bad name for a celestial object.

[Wolverine]

My thoughts exactly.

[weatherc]

Actually, I think it's better that the temporary name be as ridiculous as possible; that means that it is less likely to become the actual name through common usage before the actual name is approved (Quaoar and Sedna come to mind).

Besides, what's the point of spending a lot of time and thought on a cool name that might not be approved anyway? They might as well have some fun with it until the real name is decided upon.

[A.DIM]

Wait till ADIM sees this! He's going to be insufferable.

Well, what's a woowoo to do?

But this is merely what we've been seeing out of these discoveries; "unusual" orbits that require a rethink to explain them.

Of course, I've got an idea....

[Van Rijn]

Nice. But... Buffy?

That's the point of the name. It has a ring about it: Buffy the Kuiper Belt Object. Nobody expects a KBO named Buffy. Sounds like it could make a good TV series . . .

[Tuckerfan]

That's the point of the name. It has a ring about it: Buffy the Kuiper Belt Object. Nobody expects a KBO named Buffy. Sounds like it could make a good TV series . . .

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, but that doesn't mean I want to see it!

[agingjb]

Is "Buffy" 2004 XR 190?

[Van Rijn]

Is "Buffy" 2004 XR 190?

Yes. From here:

"The object, which received the official designation 2004 XR 190 in the International Astronomical Union's official announcement, was discovered during routine operation of the Canada-France Ecliptic Plane Survey (CFEPS) running as part of the Legacy Survey on the Canada France Hawaii Telescope. For now, the discoverers are using the temporary nickname "Buffy" to identify the new object, although they have proposed a different official name in keeping with normal procedures for naming such objects."

[Swift]

Nice. But... Buffy?

It is named that because it is on a collision course with another small object, currently called "Vampire", which it will destory in the collision.

[The Bad Astronomer]

Heh. Check my blog. I wrote that before I read this thread.

[HenrikOlsen]

Nice. But... Buffy?

Nice coincidense, I'm just watching the entier series from the beginning.

[Disinfo Agent]

Well, what's a woowoo to do?

But this is merely what we've been seeing out of these discoveries; "unusual" orbits that require a rethink to explain them.

Of course, I've got an idea....

Maybe it isn't just a Planet X, but Planets X₁, X₂, X₃..., hey?

[Swift]

Anyhoo, does anyone know when "vampire" will be slain?

Uh, you realize that my comment above about Vampire was absolutely made up?
Will I now be further embarrassed because I took your joke seriously?

edited to add that something weird is going on and this is listed in advance of the posting I was replying too!

[mantiss]

Let's all have a good laugh and call it Nibiru, then you can point out to all the crackpots that it's in a STABLE orbit.

So here's a guess, how long before we get an even more outlandish named one, like Santa, God or even Ginny'sFancyRockBlob...

[A.DIM]

Maybe it isn't just a Planet X, but Planets X₁, X₂, X₃..., hey?

Maybe, although I don't consider any of these discoveries planets.

[A.DIM]

Let's all have a good laugh and call it Nibiru, then you can point out to all the crackpots that it's in a STABLE orbit.

LMAO! (not really)

The thing is, anyone with any knowledge of Nibiru would know better.

[Tuckerfan]

Let's all have a good laugh and call it Nibiru, then you can point out to all the crackpots that it's in a STABLE orbit.

Nah, I vote for Xenu!

[Monique]

Nice. But... Buffy?

Hey!! Buffy is "cool babe"!!

[parallaxicality]

Why does everyone hate Buffy? Some of the sharpest comic writing on TV.

Anyhoo, does anyone know when "vampire" will be slain?

[Van Rijn]

Why does everyone hate Buffy? Some of the sharpest comic writing on TV.

Anyhoo, does anyone know when "vampire" will be slain?

I don't. I thought the series was great. On a related note, some years ago, I found a great picture of a really ugly grasshopper, put it on the wall, named it "Muffy," and declared it the mascot of my programming unit. It was a great conversation piece. Conversations tended to go like this:

Them: What is this picture of a bug on the wall?

Me: Oh, that's Muffy, the mascot for my system.

Them: A bug?

Me: Can you think of a better software mascot?

Them: But Muffy?

Me: Can you think of a better name for a bug?

Them - walks away shaking head ...

[Van Rijn]

Test post (Just want to see if this will reset the most recent post display.)

[SolusLupus]

I don't really like Buffy as a "cool babe". I'm not into blondes. But Willow... now she's cool. Mainly 'cause she's "geeky".

[Superluminal]

If Buffy has a moon, will it be named Willow?

[SolusLupus]

While sidekicks often revolve around the "hero", considering Willow's particular sexual orientation, don't you think that that would be as suggestive (if not more) as the Gabrielle-Xena situation?

[Tuckerfan]

Me: Can you think of a better name for a bug?

Sure, but most of them are against board rules. If it was a picture of an ant, you could have called it "Them" after the giant ant movie.

[Lord Jubjub]

Anyone wondering about the TV tastes of astronomers? Xena, Buffy. . .

[Monique]

I don't really like Buffy as a "cool babe". I'm not into blondes. But Willow... now she's cool. Mainly 'cause she's "geeky".

Willow is not "cool babe" Willow is for love......