So many unexplored secrets still lie at the outskirts of our solar system, where a potential candidate for a new dwarf planet lies. Although space beyond Neptune was thought to be mostly devoid of large objects, researchers are beginning to rethink this assumption after coming across an extraordinary trans-Neptunian object, called 2017 OF201.
According to a recently published arXiv pre-print, 2017 OF201 could soon join the ranks of Pluto and other dwarf planets in the solar system. The behavior of its extremely large orbit has piqued the interest of astronomers, who now believe there may be plenty more objects just like it drifting through this remote part of space.
Composite image showing the five dwarf planets recognized by the International Astronomical Union, plus the newly discovered trans-Neptunian object 2017 OF201. (Image Courtesy of: NASA/JPL Caltech; Sihao Cheng et al.)
The Kuiper Belt, a region of the solar system past Neptune’s ...
