Candidate Planets

An artist's rendition shows the solar system with 12 planets, including three new ones to be added if astronomers meeting in the Czech capital approve a new planetary definition, the conference organizer said on August 16. The proposal before the 26th general assembly of the International Astronomical Union distinguishes between eight classical planets and three bodies including Pluto in a new and growing category called "plutons" - Pluto-like objects - plus a former asteroid, Ceres, the IAU said. In July 2005 a US team of astronomers announced that Pluto is much smaller than an enigmatic object, 2003 UB313, which its discoverers claim is the solar system's 10th planet, dubbed Xena, some 15 billion kilometres (nine billion miles) from Earth. The IAU conference will last until August 25. PHOTO: AFP