OCT 21, 2002 - FAQ About Quaoar
is where you go to get a grip on the recently discovered Kuiper (KOY-per) Belt Object tentatively named Quaoar (KWAH-oh-wahr). And who better to give you the straight dope than the two guys who discovered it, astronomers Chad Trujillo (who put together the FAQ) and Mike Brown? Trujillo furnishes both the discovery image and the exact time, date and place of Quaoar's discovery (namely 10:48:08 AM PDT on June 4, 2002 at the Palomar Observatory). So what's the big deal? Look at it this way: at approximately 1250 kilometers (about 800 miles) in diameter, Quaoar is the biggest thing to be discovered in our solar system since Pluto's moon Charon was first sighted back in 1978. Is Quaoar a planet? That's a matter of semantics, but for what it's worth Trujillo doesn't think so. (It orbits the Sun, so it's not a moon; perhaps we can call it a mini-planet.) Astrologers may wish to work with Quaoar for themselves, and decide whether it's a significant addition to horoscopic technique. You'll find the (Native American) mythology of Quaoar, a (right ascension/declination) ephemeris for the newly discovered Kuiper Belt Object - and lots more as well - all at FAQ About Quaoar.
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