Archive · 2 Jun 2025
Astronomers Discover Possible New Dwarf Planet, Challenging Planet Nine Theory
Scientists were looking for a big, hidden planet called Planet Nine at the edge of our solar system, but they found something else instead!
They found a new object, 2017 OF201, which could be a dwarf planet.
This new object is small, but it goes very far away from the sun, and it takes a long time to orbit.
The discovery makes scientists wonder if Planet Nine is really there because the orbit of the new object does not match what they expected.
They need to study it more, and hopefully bigger telescopes will help them understand.
Maybe there's even more unknown objects out there in our solar system!
Researchers discovered a new object, 2017 OF201, in the outer solar system, potentially a dwarf planet.
2017 OF201 is approximately 700 kilometers (430 miles) across and three times smaller than Pluto.
The object has an extremely elongated orbit, taking it into the Oort cloud and potentially past stars.
The discovery may challenge the theory of Planet Nine, a hypothesized large planet in the outer solar system.
Astronomers are seeking more data, while new telescopes are expected to aid the search.
- Who
- A team of US-based researchers, along with amateur astronomers.
- What
- Researchers discovered a new object, 2017 OF201, possibly a dwarf planet, in the outer solar system.
- When
- The discovery was recently announced.
- Where
- The object is located in the outer solar system, far beyond Neptune.
- Why
- The discovery could challenge the Planet Nine theory and expand our understanding of the solar system.
- Object Name
- 2017 OF201
- Object Size
- Approximately 700 kilometers (430 miles)
- Current Distance from Earth
- Three times farther than Neptune
- Orbital Period
- 25,000 years
- Orbit Location
- Kuiper Belt and Oort cloud