Scientists at the Institute for Advanced Study’s School of Natural Sciences have made a groundbreaking discovery – a possible dwarf planet dubbed “extreme cousin” of Pluto. The object, named 2017 OF201, has an incredibly eccentric orbit around the Sun, taking 25,000 years to complete one cycle.
Its size is estimated to be about one-third that of Pluto’s diameter, making it potentially large enough to be classified as a dwarf planet. The object’s orbit is so extreme that its aphelion (farthest point from the Sun) is over 1,600 times that of Earth’s orbit, while its perihelion (closest point to the Sun) is 44.5 times greater.
The discovery was made possible by advances in telescopes and took seven years of observations using 19 different exposures. Researchers believe that 2017 OF201 likely experienced close encounters with a giant planet, causing it to be ejected into its wide orbit.
This finding sparks hope for new discoveries about our solar system. The researchers suggest that there could be hundreds of other objects like 2017 OF201, but are too far away to be detected currently. With ongoing advances in telescopes and exploration technology, scientists may uncover more secrets about our cosmic neighborhood.
Source: https://www.scrippsnews.com/science-and-tech/space/scientists-discover-potential-dwarf-planet-dubbed-extreme-cousin-of-pluto