US EditionAstronomers Discover a Possible Dwarf Planet Far Beyond Neptune, Where There Should Have Only Been Empty Space
- Scientists have identified an object about 435 miles wide orbiting the sun beyond Neptune, which might qualify as a dwarf planet.
- The object, named 2017 OF201, takes roughly 25,000 years to complete one orbit around the sun and is currently located about 90 astronomical units from the sun.
- The discovery of 2017 OF201 has implications for hypotheses involving the potential existence of a ninth planet in our solar system, known as Planet X or Planet Nine.
38 Articles
38 Articles
Planet Nine? Not quite, but some astronomers think they've spotted a new dwarf planet
A possible new dwarf planet has been discovered at the edge of our solar system, so far-flung that it takes around 25,000 years to complete one orbit around the sun. The object, known as 2017 OF201, was found by researchers at the Institute for Advanced Study and Princeton University who were searching for “Planet Nine,” a hypothetical planet larger than Earth that is thought to orbit beyond Neptune.
Possible new dwarf planet spotted near the edge of the solar system
Scientists have identified an object about 435 miles (700 km) wide inhabiting the frigid outer reaches of our solar system that might qualify as a dwarf planet, spotting it as it travels on a highly elongated orbital path around the sun.
We didn't know so far that the world is as big and as far away from the Sun as 2017 OF201. This discovery proves that the region beyond Neptune is far from being deserted, and its history will be exciting to explore.
Researchers discover a possible dwarf planet at the edge of our solar system that could solve the mystery of the ninth planet.
Possible new dwarf planet spotted near the edge of the solar system | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
WASHINGTON >> Scientists have identified an object about 435 miles wide inhabiting the frigid outer reaches of our solar system that might qualify as a dwarf planet, spotting it as it travels on a highly elongated orbital path around the sun.
When will we fully understand the outer edge of the Solar System? It consists of eight known planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. In addition, there are a number of slightly smaller objects, called dwarf planets, one of the larger of which is Pluto. The four inner planets are rocky worlds (one of which is our Earth), and the outer four are gas and ice giants that are many times larger than Earth.
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