Sizing of the 10th 'planet'

Experts from the University of Bonn (Germany) have confirmed UB313 - celestial body can be the 10th planet in the solar system - bigger than Pluto. However, this finding will probably not ease the debate about a planet's standard.

UB313 simulation (close-up) and the Sun are far away.

In 2005, when UB313 was discovered, astronomers from the California Institute of Technology only estimated its size based on brightness.

However, a team led by Frank Bertoldi gave the first calculation of the diameter of UB313.

By measuring the heat that this planet radiates, the German scientists estimated UB313 has a diameter of 3,000 km.

With this figure, the diameter of UB313 is greater than 700km of Pluto, the 9th planet in the solar system.

Some astronomers have argued what is a planet and whether to continue to call Pluto as a planet. The difficulty is that there is no official definition. Some think it would be too generous to set a limit on size.

The International Astronomical Alliance will decide whether UB313 is a planet. If considered a planet, it will be the furthest planet and the 10th planet in our solar system.

Although the size of UB313 is known, the structure of this celestial body is also an important factor in deciding whether it is a planet or not. No new planet has been created by workers since the discovery of Pluto in 1930.

It is known that UB313 also has a moon named Gabrielle.

The closest distance to the Sun of UB313 is 5.6 billion km and the farthest is 14.5 billion km.

The Earth orbits the Sun at a distance of 150 million kilometers. UB313 lost 560 years of Earth to complete an orbit around the Sun, compared to 250 years of Pluto.