Astronomers have discovered a rare “fossil” body, nicknamed “Ammonite,” on the outskirts of our solar system. The object, 71 times farther away from the sun than Earth, was detected by the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii and lies beyond Pluto’s orbit. Ammonite is only the fourth-ever sednoid to be discovered, a type of celestial body with elongated orbits and large distances from the sun.
The discovery suggests that the outer solar system is more diverse and complex than previously thought. The object’s stable orbit for at least 4.5 billion years and its unusual trajectory make it a significant finding in understanding the history of our solar system. The discovery also challenges the existence of Planet Nine, a long-hypothesized ninth planet.
The Subaru Telescope, one of the few Earth-based telescopes capable of making such discoveries, played a crucial role in detecting Ammonite. Researchers say that finding more objects like this will help draw a complete picture of the solar system’s history.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/fossil-object-dubbed-ammonite-discovered-outskirts-solar-system/story?id=123865134