US Edition
An extreme cousin for Pluto? Possible dwarf planet discovered at solar system's edge
- A team led by Sihao Cheng discovered a large trans-Neptunian object named 2017 OF201 at the solar system's edge in 2025.
- They found the object using archival data after analyzing its extreme and unusual orbit spanning up to 1,600 astronomical units.
- 2017 OF201 has a perihelion similar to Pluto's orbit at 44.5 AU and a roughly 25,000-year orbital period, spending only 1% detectable time near Earth.
- Cheng estimated its diameter to be around 700 kilometers, which could classify it as a dwarf planet and ranks it as one of the largest objects discovered in such a remote orbit.
- The discovery challenges the theory of Planet Nine by showing 2017 OF201's orbit does not cluster with other extreme TNOs, implying more distant objects remain undiscovered.
11 Articles
11 Articles
An extreme cousin for Pluto? Possible dwarf planet discovered at solar system's edge
A small team led by Sihao Cheng, Martin A. and Helen Chooljian Member in the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Natural Sciences, has discovered an extraordinary trans-Neptunian object (TNO), named 2017 OF201, at the edge of our solar system.
Does our solar system have a new dwarf planet?
On May 21, the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center announced the discovery of 2017 OF201, which, because of its distance beyond Neptune, is classified as a trans-Neptunian object (TNO). The science team that found the new body was led by Sihao Cheng, Martin A., and Helen Chooljian of the Institute for Advanced Study’s SchoolContinue reading "Does our solar system have a new dwarf planet?" The post Does our solar system have a …
Scientists discover mysterious Pluto-like object at the edge of the solar system
Astronomers have discovered a strange and distant object orbiting far beyond Neptune, raising new questions about the outer edges of our solar system. The object, called 2017 OF201, is a type of icy body known as a trans-Neptunian object (TNO). It may be large enough to be classified as a dwarf planet—similar to Pluto. The […] The post Scientists discover mysterious Pluto-like object at the edge of the solar system appeared first on Knowridge Sc…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources are Center
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
Ownership
To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage
