True facts… mais assez rigolo aussi. "…. shaking hands with an octopus is like playing russian…."  LOL.

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2012 VP113: A New Furthest Known Object in Solar System
Image Credit: S. S. Sheppard (CIS) & C. Trujillo (Gemini Obs.), NOAO
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140331.html

What is the furthest known object in our Solar System? The new answer is 2012 VP113, an object currently over twice the distance of Pluto from the Sun. Pictured above is a series of discovery images taken with the Dark Energy Camera attached to the NOAO’s Blanco 4-meter Telescope in Chile in 2012 and released last week. The distant object, seen moving on the lower right, is thought to be a dwarf planet like Pluto. Previously, the furthest known dwarf planet was Sedna, discovered in 2003. Given how little of the sky was searched, it is likely that as many as 1,000 more objects like 2012 VP113 exist in the outer Solar System. 2012 VP113 is currently near its closest approach to the Sun, in about 2,000 years it will be over five times further. Some scientists hypothesize that the reason why objects like Sedna and 2012 VP113 have their present orbits is because they were gravitationally scattered there by a much larger object — possibly a very distant undiscovered planet.

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For the first time ever, astronomers have discovered a ring system surrounding an asteroid.

The finding is a complete surprise to planetary scientists. The cosmic bling was found around an object named Chariklo, which orbits in a region between Saturn and Uranus.

At 155 miles across, or about the length of Massachusetts, Chariklo is the largest known asteroid in its neighborhood. The ice rings reflect light like a mirror. As Chariklo moved through its orbit, its ring system turned edge-on when viewed from Earth. As they turned back to face us with their flat side, they reflected light toward our planet and Chariklo’s brightness grew by 40%.

There are only four other known ring systems in our solar system — around Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and, most dramatically, Saturn — and all the other ones have formed around planets. >>

Text from: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/03/asteroid-ring-system/

#space   #scienceeveryday  

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J’ai trouve 1/3 des imposteurs. Pas tres fort 😉

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Ant Mimicry: Can you guess which is which?

Ants are one of the most widely mimicked species, with over 200 copycats. Can you guess which of these six creatures are real ants and which are imposters?

Make a guess, then get the answers at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/ant-mimicry-can-you-guess-which-is-which/

Images via
WikiMedia Commons

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https://youtu.be/0tk5xZFBwho

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