Beyond Neptune’s orbit, several dwarf planets and smaller rocks exist, but none like 2020 VN40, a newly discovered celestial body with an unusual resonance. This phenomenon occurs when objects in space synchronize their orbits, creating a rhythmic pattern.
In the case of Pluto and Neptune, they are in a 3:2 resonance, where Neptune completes three orbits while Pluto does two. However, 2020 VN40 has a unique 10:1 ratio, with Neptune taking 165 years to orbit the Sun and 2020 VN40 completing one lap in 1648 years.
The most striking aspect of this discovery is that the closest approach of 2020 VN40 to the Sun occurs when Neptune is nearby. This unusual behavior challenges our understanding of the outer Solar System’s dynamics.
Lead researcher Rosemary Pike notes, “This new motion is like finding a hidden rhythm in a song we thought we knew.” The discovery provides significant insights into the evolution of the Solar System and offers clues about the presence of distant objects influenced by Neptune.
The orbit of 2020 VN40 is inclined at over 33 degrees with respect to the plane of the Solar System, making collisions with Neptune unlikely. However, this resonance is short-term stable and would not survive for a billion years.
This discovery, part of the Large inclination Distant Objects (LiDO) survey, sheds new light on the existence of small bodies in the outer Solar System. As Dr. Samantha Lawler explains, “It has been fascinating to learn how many small bodies exist on these very large, very tilted orbits.”
The finding is just the beginning, with Kathryn Volk stating, “This is just the opening of a new window into the Solar System’s past.”
Source: https://www.iflscience.com/newly-discovered-space-rock-is-caught-in-a-unique-101-dance-with-neptune-80035