Dwarf planet be discovered, and the number of planets would start growing quickly if Pluto were to remain a planet. Eris (then known as ) was discovered in January 2005; it was thought to be slightly larger than Pluto, and some reports informally referred to it as the "tenth planet". As a consequence, the issue became a matter of intense debate during the IAU General Assembly in August 2006. The IAU's initial draft proposal included Charon, Eris, and Ceres in the list of planets. After many astronomers objected to this proposal, an alternative was drawn up by the Uruguayan astronomers Julio Ángel
Eris (dwarf planet) retains an oblique reference to Eris's old informal name "Xena", portrayed on TV by Lucy Lawless. In the 2010s, on the heels of the successful Pluto flyby there were multiple studies for follow-on missions to explore the Kuiper belt, and Eris was evaluated among the candidates. It was calculated that a flyby mission to Eris could take 24.66 years using a Jupiter gravity assist, based on launch dates of 3 April 2032 or 7 April 2044. Eris would be 92.03 or 90.19 AU from the Sun when the spacecraft arrives. Eris (dwarf planet) Eris (minor-planet designation 136199 Eris) is the