Latest news with #2017OF201
Economic Times
6 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
Pluto-like planet discovered: How big is it and how far is it from Earth?
Researchers believe that 2017 OF201's highly eccentric orbit points to a chaotic origin, possibly caused by a gravitational push from one of the solar system's gas giants in its early days, sending the object as far as the distant Oort Cloud. Pluto-like planet discovered: How big is it and how far is it from Earth? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pluto Like Planet With an Extraordinary Orbit A Decade's Largest Solar System Discovery Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Possibly Ejected from the Oort Cloud Solar System May Host Hundreds More A Renewed Push for Outer Solar System Exploration FAQs What is 2017 OF201? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The object is estimated to be around 700 kilometers (435 miles) in diameter, which is approximately half the size of Pluto. In a significant breakthrough, astronomers have detected a Pluto-like planet situated far beyond the known boundaries of the solar system. Identified as 2017 OF201 , the icy celestial body may represent the largest object discovered in the outer solar system in over a decade, reigniting interest in the unexplored expanses beyond as an extreme trans-Neptunian object (TNO), 2017 OF201 is believed to be around 700 kilometers (435 miles) in diameter—about half the size of Pluto. Though smaller than the famous dwarf planet, its location and orbital characteristics have startled researchers. The object's aphelion, or farthest distance from the Sun, is more than 1,600 times Earth's orbital distance, while its perihelion, the nearest point to the Sun, is roughly 44.5 times that of Earth—comparable to Pluto's orbital reach.'This suggests a highly elliptical and unusual orbit,' noted Dr. Sihao Cheng from the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, which led the discovery, as mentioned in a report by planet takes approximately 25,000 years to complete one revolution around the Sun, hinting at a dramatic cosmic using a combination of data from the Dark Energy Camera in Chile and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the celestial body was captured over seven years and 19 different exposures. Astronomers suggest that if the object's size is verified via radio telescopes, it will earn the title of the largest newly discovered planetary body in the outer solar system since the early 2010s.2017 OF201 joins a short but significant list of massive TNOs, which includes Eris, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Gonggong. It further challenges previous assumptions about the sparsity of large bodies in the far-flung regions of the solar to the researchers, the extreme orbit of 2017 OF201 suggests a tumultuous past. It may have been gravitationally ejected by one of the gas giants early in solar system history, potentially reaching the Oort Cloud—a distant shell believed to host countless icy bodies—before being pulled back inward.'This is a classic case of a planetary body that didn't just form where it now resides. Its path tells the story of encounters, ejections, and returns,' said Dr. Yifan Yang, a collaborator on the study, as mentioned in a report by Kuiper Belt , the donut-shaped region beyond Neptune, was once thought to be relatively empty. However, the discovery of 2017 OF201 raises fresh questions about what lies beyond.'The fact that 2017 OF201 was detectable while spending just 1% of its orbital period near the inner solar system implies that there could be hundreds of similar-sized objects we simply haven't detected yet,' Dr. Cheng discovery provides renewed impetus for studying the Pluto-like planet category and the solar system's unexplored boundaries. It may also guide future missions akin to NASA's New Horizons, which flew past Pluto in 2015 before entering deeper Kuiper Belt emphasize that while humanity has explored deep space with cutting-edge instruments, the very edges of our own cosmic neighborhood remain largely uncharted territory.2017 OF201 is an icy, Pluto-like celestial body classified as an extreme trans-Neptunian object (TNO). It was recently discovered in the far outer regions of the solar system and could be the largest such object found in over a decade.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Pluto-like planet discovered: How big is it and how far is it from Earth?
In a significant breakthrough, astronomers have detected a Pluto-like planet situated far beyond the known boundaries of the solar system. Identified as 2017 OF201 , the icy celestial body may represent the largest object discovered in the outer solar system in over a decade, reigniting interest in the unexplored expanses beyond Neptune. Pluto Like Planet With an Extraordinary Orbit Classified as an extreme trans-Neptunian object (TNO), 2017 OF201 is believed to be around 700 kilometers (435 miles) in diameter—about half the size of Pluto. Though smaller than the famous dwarf planet, its location and orbital characteristics have startled researchers. The object's aphelion, or farthest distance from the Sun, is more than 1,600 times Earth's orbital distance, while its perihelion, the nearest point to the Sun, is roughly 44.5 times that of Earth—comparable to Pluto's orbital reach. 'This suggests a highly elliptical and unusual orbit,' noted Dr. Sihao Cheng from the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, which led the discovery, as mentioned in a report by Forbes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Beckham Swapped Heels. Walked More. Noticed The Difference. dailybuzzreport Try Now Undo The planet takes approximately 25,000 years to complete one revolution around the Sun, hinting at a dramatic cosmic history. A Decade's Largest Solar System Discovery Discovered using a combination of data from the Dark Energy Camera in Chile and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the celestial body was captured over seven years and 19 different exposures. Astronomers suggest that if the object's size is verified via radio telescopes, it will earn the title of the largest newly discovered planetary body in the outer solar system since the early 2010s. Live Events 2017 OF201 joins a short but significant list of massive TNOs, which includes Eris, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Gonggong. It further challenges previous assumptions about the sparsity of large bodies in the far-flung regions of the solar system. Possibly Ejected from the Oort Cloud According to the researchers, the extreme orbit of 2017 OF201 suggests a tumultuous past. It may have been gravitationally ejected by one of the gas giants early in solar system history, potentially reaching the Oort Cloud—a distant shell believed to host countless icy bodies—before being pulled back inward. 'This is a classic case of a planetary body that didn't just form where it now resides. Its path tells the story of encounters, ejections, and returns,' said Dr. Yifan Yang, a collaborator on the study, as mentioned in a report by Forbes.. Solar System May Host Hundreds More The Kuiper Belt , the donut-shaped region beyond Neptune, was once thought to be relatively empty. However, the discovery of 2017 OF201 raises fresh questions about what lies beyond. 'The fact that 2017 OF201 was detectable while spending just 1% of its orbital period near the inner solar system implies that there could be hundreds of similar-sized objects we simply haven't detected yet,' Dr. Cheng added. A Renewed Push for Outer Solar System Exploration This discovery provides renewed impetus for studying the Pluto-like planet category and the solar system's unexplored boundaries. It may also guide future missions akin to NASA's New Horizons , which flew past Pluto in 2015 before entering deeper Kuiper Belt territory. Astronomers emphasize that while humanity has explored deep space with cutting-edge instruments, the very edges of our own cosmic neighborhood remain largely uncharted territory. FAQs What is 2017 OF201? 2017 OF201 is an icy, Pluto-like celestial body classified as an extreme trans-Neptunian object (TNO). It was recently discovered in the far outer regions of the solar system and could be the largest such object found in over a decade. How big is 2017 OF201? The object is estimated to be around 700 kilometers (435 miles) in diameter, which is approximately half the size of Pluto.
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International Business Times
04-06-2025
- General
- International Business Times
Planet Nine of Solar System? Scientists Discover Possible New Dwarf Planet Beyond Neptune [Read More]
Scientists have discovered a possible new dwarf planet at the edge of our solar system, so far-flung that it takes around 25,000 years to complete one cycle around the sun. The researchers at the Institute for Advanced Study and Princeton University who were searching for "Planet Nine", discovered this object, known as 2017 OF201, For the unversed, "Planet Nine" is a hypothetical planet which is reportedly larger than Earth that is thought to orbit beyond Neptune. Some astronomers theorize that a mysterious ninth planet, which so far remains undetected, could explain an unusual clustering of objects and other anomalies observed in the outer solar system. While the researchers were busy searching for the elusive Planet Nine, they came across this new resident in our cosmic backyard. "Extreme Cousin" To Pluto Sihao Cheng, a member at the Institute for Advanced Study who led the research team, said, "It's not very different from how Pluto was discovered," adding, "This project was really an adventure." If confirmed, Cheng describes the newly discovered dwarf planet as a "extreme cousin" to Pluto. The results were published on the preprint website arXiv but have not yet been peer-reviewed. Cheng and his colleagues believe that 2017 OF201 is around 435 miles across, far smaller than Pluto, which is nearly 1,500 miles across. A dwarf planet is a celestial entity that orbits the sun and has enough mass and gravity to be mostly spherical, but unlike other planets, its orbital path is not free of asteroids and other debris. Eritas Yang, one of the study's co-authors and a PhD student at Princeton University, stated that one of the most intriguing aspects of 2017 OF201 is its extraordinarily elongated orbit. At its farthest point from the sun, the object is more than 1,600 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. The dwarf planet candidate was discovered after methodically filtering through a massive data set collected by a Chilean telescope probing the universe for hints of dark energy. By combining data over time, the researchers found a moving item with predictable movements. 2017 OF201 is likely one of the most distant visible objects in the solar system, however, its discovery suggests that there could be other dwarf planets populating that region of space. "It Was Just Hidden There" "We were using public data that has been there for a long time," said Jiaxuan Li, a study co-author and a graduate student at Princeton University. "It was just hidden there." According to Li, the object is currently near to the sun, so the researchers will need to wait approximately a month before conducting follow-up investigations with ground-based telescopes. The scientists are also hoping to someday get some time to explore the object using the Hubble Space Telescope or the James Webb Space Telescope. Meanwhile, Cheng has stated that he will continue his quest for Planet Nine. The latest discovery, however, may put a kink in certain long-held hypotheses about the planet's existence. Planet Nine's concept is that a planet several times the size of Earth in the outer solar system could explain why a collection of icy objects appear to be in unusually close orbits. "Under the influence of Planet Nine, all objects that do not have this specific orbital geometry will eventually become unstable and get kicked out of the solar system," according to Yang. 2017 OF201's elongated orbit distinguishes it from the clustered objects, but Yang's calculations indicate that its orbit should remain stable over the next billion years. In other words, if Planet Nine exists, 2017 OF201 will most likely be unable to remain. However, Yang stated that further investigation is needed, and that the finding of a new dwarf planet candidate does not necessarily spell the end of Planet Nine. For starters, the simulations only used one location for Planet Nine, although experts disagree on where the imaginary planet lurks – if it exists at all. Konstantin Batygin, a planetary science professor at the California Institute of Technology, hypothesized the existence of Planet Nine in a 2016 article co-authored with his Caltech colleague Mike Brown. Object In Chaotic Orbit? He stated that the discovery of 2017 OF201 does neither prove nor contradict the notion. According to Batygin, the objects in the outer solar system that are most likely to leave a footprint of Planet Nine's gravity are those with the closest points on their orbits around the sun that are still far enough away from Neptune to not interact strongly. "This one, unfortunately, does not fall into that category," Batygin told NBC. "This object is in a chaotic orbit, so when it comes to the question, 'What does it truly imply for Planet Nine?' The answer isn't much, because things are chaotic." Batygin said he was excited to see the new study because it adds more context to how objects came to be in the outer solar system, and he called the researchers' efforts mining public data sets "heroic." Cheng, for his part, said he hasn't abandoned hope of finding Planet Nine. "This whole project started as a search for Planet Nine, and I'm still in that mode," he said. "But this is an interesting story for scientific discovery. Who knows if Planet Nine exists, but it can be interesting if you're willing to take some risks."
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
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. Some astronomers theorize that a mysterious ninth planet, which so far remains undetected, could explain an unusual clustering of objects and other anomalies observed in the outer solar system. In searching for the elusive Planet Nine, researchers instead turned up a different resident in our cosmic backyard. 'It's not very different from how Pluto was discovered,' said Sihao Cheng, a member at the Institute for Advanced Study who led the research team. 'This project was really an adventure.' If confirmed, the newfound dwarf planet would be what Cheng calls an 'extreme cousin' of Pluto. The findings were published on the preprint website arXiv and have not yet been peer-reviewed. Cheng and his colleagues estimate that 2017 OF201 measures about 435 miles across — significantly smaller than Pluto, which measures nearly 1,500 miles across. A dwarf planet is classified as a celestial body that orbits the sun that has enough mass and gravity to be mostly round, but unlike other planets, has not cleared its orbital path of asteroids and other objects. Eritas Yang, one of the study's co-authors and a graduate student at Princeton University, said that one of 2017 OF201's most interesting features is its extremely elongated orbit. At its farthest point from the sun, the object is more than 1,600 times more distant than the Earth is to the sun. The researchers found the dwarf planet candidate by meticulously sifting through a huge data set from a telescope in Chile that was scanning the universe for evidence of dark energy. By cobbling together observations over time, the researchers identified a moving object with migrations that followed a clear pattern. 2017 OF201 is likely one of the most distant visible objects in the solar system, but its discovery suggests there could be other dwarf planets populating that region of space. 'We were using public data that has been there for a long time,' said Jiaxuan Li, a study co-author and a graduate student at Princeton University. 'It was just hidden there.' Li said the object is close to the sun at the moment, which means the researchers need to wait about a month before they can conduct follow-up observations using ground-based telescopes. The scientists are also hopeful that they can eventually secure some time to study the object with the Hubble Space Telescope or the James Webb Space Telescope. In the meantime, Cheng said he hasn't given up searching for Planet Nine. The new discovery, however, may throw a wrench into some long-standing theories of the planet's existence. The hypothesis behind Planet Nine is that a planet several times the size of Earth in the outer solar system could explain why a group of icy objects seem to have unusually clustered orbits. 'Under the influence of Planet Nine, all objects that do not have this specific orbital geometry will eventually become unstable and get kicked out of the solar system,' Yang said. 2017 OF201's elongated orbit makes it an outlier from the clustered objects, but Yang's calculations suggest that the orbit of 2017 OF201 should remain stable over roughly the next billion years. In other words, 2017 OF201 likely would not be able to remain if Planet Nine does exist. But Yang said more research is needed, and the discovery of the new dwarf planet candidate is not necessarily a death knell for Planet Nine. For one, the simulations only used one specific location for Planet Nine, but scientists don't all agree on where the hypothetical planet lurks — if it's there at all. Konstantin Batygin, a professor of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology, proposed the existence of Planet Nine in a study published with his Caltech colleague Mike Brown in 2016. He said the discovery of 2017 OF201 doesn't prove or disprove the theory. The objects in the outer solar system that are likely to show a footprint of Planet Nine's gravity, Batygin said, are the ones where the closest points on their orbits around the sun are still distant enough that they don't strongly interact with Neptune. 'This one, unfortunately, does not fall into that category,' Batygin told NBC News. 'This object is on a chaotic orbit, and so when it comes to the question of 'What does it really mean for Planet Nine?' The answer is not very much, because it's chaotic.' Batygin said he was excited to see the new study because it adds more context to how objects came to be in the outer solar system, and he called the researchers' efforts mining public data sets 'heroic.' Cheng, for his part, said he hasn't abandoned hope of finding Planet Nine. 'This whole project started as a search for Planet Nine, and I'm still in that mode,' he said. 'But this is an interesting story for scientific discovery. Who knows if Planet Nine exists, but it can be interesting if you're willing to take some risks.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
04-06-2025
- General
- NBC News
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. Some astronomers theorize that a mysterious ninth planet, which so far remains undetected, could explain an unusual clustering of objects and other anomalies observed in the outer solar system. In searching for the elusive Planet Nine, researchers instead turned up a different resident in our cosmic backyard. 'It's not very different from how Pluto was discovered,' said Sihao Cheng, a member at the Institute for Advanced Study who led the research team. 'This project was really an adventure.' If confirmed, the newfound dwarf planet would be what Cheng calls an 'extreme cousin' of Pluto. The findings were published on the preprint website arXiv and have not yet been peer-reviewed. Cheng and his colleagues estimate that 2017 OF201 measures about 435 miles across — significantly smaller than Pluto, which measures nearly 1,500 miles across. A dwarf planet is classified as a celestial body that orbits the sun that has enough mass and gravity to be mostly round, but unlike other planets, has not cleared its orbital path of asteroids and other objects. Eritas Yang, one of the study's co-authors and a graduate student at Princeton University, said that one of 2017 OF201's most interesting features is its extremely elongated orbit. At its farthest point from the sun, the object is more than 1,600 times more distant than the Earth is to the sun. The researchers found the dwarf planet candidate by meticulously sifting through a huge data set from a telescope in Chile that was scanning the universe for evidence of dark energy. By cobbling together observations over time, the researchers identified a moving object with migrations that followed a clear pattern. 2017 OF201 is likely one of the most distant visible objects in the solar system, but its discovery suggests there could be other dwarf planets populating that region of space. 'We were using public data that has been there for a long time,' said Jiaxuan Li, a study co-author and a graduate student at Princeton University. 'It was just hidden there.' Li said the object is close to the sun at the moment, which means the researchers need to wait about a month before they can conduct follow-up observations using ground-based telescopes. The scientists are also hopeful that they can eventually secure some time to study the object with the Hubble Space Telescope or the James Webb Space Telescope. In the meantime, Cheng said he hasn't given up searching for Planet Nine. The new discovery, however, may throw a wrench into some long-standing theories of the planet's existence. The hypothesis behind Planet Nine is that a planet several times the size of Earth in the outer solar system could explain why a group of icy objects seem to have unusually clustered orbits. 'Under the influence of Planet Nine, all objects that do not have this specific orbital geometry will eventually become unstable and get kicked out of the solar system,' Yang said. 2017 OF201's elongated orbit makes it an outlier from the clustered objects, but Yang's calculations suggest that the orbit of 2017 OF201 should remain stable over roughly the next billion years. In other words, 2017 OF201 likely would not be able to remain if Planet Nine does exist. But Yang said more research is needed, and the discovery of the new dwarf planet candidate is not necessarily a death knell for Planet Nine. For one, the simulations only used one specific location for Planet Nine, but scientists don't all agree on where the hypothetical planet lurks — if it's there at all. Konstantin Batygin, a professor of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology, proposed the existence of Planet Nine in a study published with his Caltech colleague Mike Brown in 2016. He said the discovery of 2017 OF201 doesn't prove or disprove the theory. The objects in the outer solar system that are likely to show a footprint of Planet Nine's gravity, Batygin said, are the ones where the closest points on their orbits around the sun are still distant enough that they don't strongly interact with Neptune. 'This one, unfortunately, does not fall into that category,' Batygin told NBC News. 'This object is on a chaotic orbit, and so when it comes to the question of 'What does it really mean for Planet Nine?' The answer is not very much, because it's chaotic.' Batygin said he was excited to see the new study because it adds more context to how objects came to be in the outer solar system, and he called the researchers' efforts mining public data sets 'heroic.' Cheng, for his part, said he hasn't abandoned hope of finding Planet Nine. 'This whole project started as a search for Planet Nine, and I'm still in that mode,' he said. 'But this is an interesting story for scientific discovery. Who knows if Planet Nine exists, but it can be interesting if you're willing to take some risks.'
