Sedna

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Sedna

(ˈsɛdnə)

(Placename) a red planet-like object, roughly half the size of the Earth's moon, orbiting the sun but considerably beyond Pluto; discovered in 2003

[C21: after the Inuit goddess of the ocean]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

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Noun

Sedna - a planetoid of rock and ice about three-quarters the size of Pluto discovered in 2003; the most distant object known to orbit around the sun

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References in classic literature ?

"My house is your house," said Kotuko; "but I think that we shall both go to Sedna together."

Now Sedna is the Mistress of the Underworld, and the Inuit believe that every one who dies must spend a year in her horrible country before going to Quadliparmiut, the Happy Place, where it never freezes and the fat reindeer trot up when you call.

"We shall go to Sedna soon--very soon," the girl whispered.

"We shall not go to Sedna lying down," said Kotuko.

Spirits, goblins, and witch-people were moving about on the racking ice, and they might find themselves stepping into Sedna's country side by side with all sorts of wild Things, the flush of excitement still on them.

"It may know some way that does not lead to Sedna"; but she reeled from weakness as she took the pulling-rope.

View in context

Caption: Artist's concept of Sedna, the largest known trans-Neptunian object, whose orbit is "detached" from Neptune's gravitational influence.

No Planet X in the Kuiper Belt?

This explains the oddball behavior of Sedna, which is a little smaller than Pluto but follows a massive, circular orbital path to circumnavigate the sun, just like other detached objects.

Planet Nine Might Not Be Responsible For Detached Solar System Objects

For example, the Inuit goddess Sedna is a central example in the discussion of the sacrificed divinity, but it is never decided whether or not she is also a true botanical hero.

The Hero's Quest and the Cycles of Nature: An Ecological Interpretation of World Mythology

Maritime Archaeologist Stephanie Gandulla of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary--who is also a Sedna Epic Expedition team member--said the five sites were chosen carefully to bring attention to the Great Lakes' plentiful natural and cultural resources.

Women's team dives to five historic sites in 24 hours

Caption: Playful Sedna Kakulu Saggiaktok [c]DORSET FINE ARTS

Making the most of your commute: when what matters is listening to practically nothing at all

The orbit of minor planet Sedna, and of hundreds of trans-Neptunian objects, defy mathematical predictions unless a substantial, but so far, invisible object is affecting them.