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Eris
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Columbia Encyclopedia
Eris, in astronomy, dwarf planet that is the most distant body known to be in orbit around the sun. Eris, whose highly eccentric elliptical orbit ranges from 38 AU to 97 AU and is inclined more than 44°, is the largest known object of the Kuiper belt (see comet), with a diameter (c.1,500 mi/2,400 km) somewhat larger than that of Pluto. Taking 560 earth years to circle the sun, Eris is believed to be composed of rock and ice. At aphelion (the most distant point from the sun in Eris's orbit), where the temperature is -405°F; (-243°C;), Eris's surface is covered with highly reflective frozen methane, which forms its atmosphere when it is closer to the sun and the surface temperature is warmer (-360°F;/-218°C;). Eris was discovered on Jan. 5, 2005, by astronomers Mike Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David Rabinowitz, using computer analysis of images taken two years earlier in a survey of the Kuiper belt. It was named for the Greek goddess of strife because its discovery was a catalyst for the reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet. Eris is known to have one natural satellite, Dysnomia, named for the daughter of the goddess Eris; the moon is estimated to have a diameter about an eighth that of Eris. Eris and its moon were nicknamed Xena and Gabrielle, respectively, before they were officially named.
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Columbia Encyclopedia
Eris, in Greek religion, goddess of strife. Angered at not being invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, she threw the apple of discord among the wedding guests (see Paris, in Greek mythology).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press.
Licensed from Columbia University Press
Licensed from Columbia University Press
Wikipedia
Eris typically refers to:
- Eris (dwarf planet), the largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System (provisional designation )
- Eris (mythology), in Greek mythology the goddess of discord, and the Goddess of Discordianism
It may also refer to:
- Eris (spider), a genus of jumping spiders
- Eris (Billy and Mandy), a humorous representation of the Greek goddess in the television show The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
- Eris (Star Trek), a Vorta character played by Molly Hagan
- Exoatmospheric Reentry-vehicle Interception System, a project of the Strategic Defense Initiative
- Eris, a character from the video game Drakengard 2.
- "Eris", an epic-rock song by Panacea.
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Last updated on Friday May 16, 2008 at 13:30:18 PDT (GMT -0700)
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Friday May 16, 2008 at 13:30:18 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
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