Newly Discovered ‘Extreme Cousin’ of Pluto: Scientists Unveil Potential Dwarf Planet!

Scientists from the Institute for Advanced Study’s School of Natural Sciences recently made an exciting discovery. They believe they have found a possible new dwarf planet, which they refer to as an "extreme cousin" of Pluto. This object, named 2017 OF201, has an unusual orbit around the Sun that only permits detection at certain times.

2017 OF201 takes a staggering 25,000 years to complete its orbit. It’s estimated to be about one-third the size of Pluto. While its exact dimensions aren’t confirmed, its size could qualify it as a dwarf planet, similar to Pluto, which was reclassified in 2006.

Study author Sihao Cheng explains interesting details about this dwarf planet’s orbit. Its farthest point from the Sun, called the aphelion, is over 1,600 times the distance of Earth’s orbit. The closest point, or perihelion, is about 44.5 times further than Earth from the Sun. This is comparable to how Pluto orbits.

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union set a clear definition for planets. For an object to be a planet, it must orbit its star, be mostly round, and have cleared its orbit of similar-sized debris. Dwarf planets, like Pluto and potentially 2017 OF201, have not met this last criterion.

Currently, Pluto is one of five recognized dwarf planets, alongside Ceres, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. Experts believe there could be many more dwarf planets lurking in the far reaches of our solar system, waiting to be discovered.

Researchers are keen to understand why 2017 OF201 has such an eccentric orbit. Eritas Yang from Princeton University suggests that its path may have been altered by close encounters with larger planets, which could have sent it into a wider orbit.

Interestingly, 2017 OF201 is only detectable about one percent of the time. This hints at the possibility of a hidden population of similar objects, possibly numbering in the hundreds, just too distant for current telescopes to identify. As Cheng notes, even with advancements in technology, much of our solar system remains a mystery.

The teams involved took about seven years and 19 exposures to confirm the existence of 2017 OF201. They utilized images from both the Victor M. Blanco Telescope and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope to pinpoint this potential dwarf planet.

This discovery adds to our understanding of the solar system, reminding us that there are still countless mysteries waiting to be uncovered. For more insights into astronomy and dwarf planets, you can visit NASA’s Planetary Science Division.

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