Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery at the edge of our solar system, challenging long-held theories about the existence of “Planet Nine”. The team identified a massive new solar system body, nicknamed “Ammonite”, with an elongated orbit that suggests it may be much further from the sun than thought or has been ejected altogether.
2023 KQ14, a sednoid designated by astronomers, has a highly eccentric orbit that brings it as close as 71 times the distance between Earth and the sun. This massive object is estimated to be around 136-236 miles wide, making it one of the largest known trans-Neptunian objects.
The discovery was made using Subaru Telescope observations and computer simulations, which revealed that Ammonite’s orbit has remained stable for 4.5 billion years. However, its unique trajectory suggests that all four sednoids were likely on similar orbits around 4.2 billion years ago, implying a dramatic event occurred at the edge of the solar system.
The discovery raises doubts about the existence of Planet Nine, with team leader Yukun Huang stating that “the fact that Ammonite’s current orbit does not align with those of the other three sednoids lowers the likelihood of the Planet Nine hypothesis.” The team suggests that a planet may have existed but was later ejected, causing the unusual orbits we see today.
Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/solar-system/astronomers-discover-a-cosmic-fossil-at-the-edge-of-the-solar-system-is-this-bad-news-for-planet-9