Xena Is Bright

Her long-time fans have known that, of course, but now there’s proof. As I reported in February, scientists have named two distant objects in the solar system Xena and Gabrielle. The researchers recently refined their analysis, though, and concluded that while Xena might not be as big as previously thought, the smaller size means it must be brighter than almost every other object in the solar system, reflecting nearly 86% of the light that falls on it. The brightness is so uniform, moreover, that it is impossible to tell how fast Xena is rotating. I seem to recall Xena taking on a circle of attackers that way in one episode. . . .