Search for 'Planet Nine' Yields Unexpected Discovery
A small team of researchers at the Institute for Advanced Study and Princeton University spent half a year sifting through data from the Victor M. Blanco Telescope's Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS). Gathered in 2019 by the telescope's Dark Energy Camera, or DECam, the archive consists of wild-field optical imaging data from the green, red, and z bands. Though these filters make it possible to search for distant space objects via photometric redshift, no one (to the researchers' knowledge) had looked for Planet Nine in the DECaLS dataset before.
According to a preprint paper that has not yet undergone peer review, the researchers found a dwarf planet candidate they've since dubbed 2017 OF201. With an estimated diameter of approximately 700 kilometers (435 miles), the object is just big enough to classify as a dwarf planet. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center announced the finding this month.
This illustration shows just how wide 2017 OF201's orbit is, compared with the orbits of solar system planets. Credit: Jiaxuan Li, Sihao Cheng
But the team is lucky they found 2017 OF201 at all: Only 0.5% of its wide, elliptical orbit comes close enough to Earth for Blanco to detect. At its farthest point from the Sun (aphelion), the object is more than 1,600 times farther away than Earth, making a complete orbit 25,000 years long.
"This limited visibility window strongly suggests that a substantial population of similar objects—with large sizes, wide orbits, and high eccentricities—should exist but be difficult to detect due to their extremely large distance," the paper reads.
The orbit of 2017 OF201 is also strange because it appears to contradict a common hypothesis about Planet Nine. The hypothetical planet's gravity is thought to shepherd trans-Neptunian objects into a cluster of sorts, but 2017 OF201 resists such clustering. What this means within the broader search for Planet Nine will likely be determined by Chile's Vera Rubin Observatory, which is expected to go online later this year.
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2 days ago
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An icy supervolcano eruption on Pluto may have left a massive crater on the frozen world
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A landmark on Pluto that was previously designated as an impact crater may actually be the caldera of a supervolcano that has exploded in the past few million years, new research suggests. When NASA's New Horizons mission flew by Pluto in 2015, it revealed a geologically rich world, rather than the cold, dark landscape many had anticipated. Almost immediately, researchers identified two features, called Wright Mons and Piccard Mons, that were strongly suspected to be icy volcanoes, and further study confirmed their identity. But not every cryovolcano was easy to spot. The suspected supervolcano, Kiladze, was initially classified as an impact crater. However, now scientists suspect it's something else. "We evaluated the possibility of the depression as a cryovolcanic caldera versus having an impact crater origin," said Al Emran, a planetary scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Emran presented his team's results in July at the Progress in Understanding the Pluto System: 10 Years After Flyby conference in Laurel, Maryland. "We think it's more like Yellowstone Caldera in Wyoming," Emran said. At least two of Yellowstone's eruptions, millions of years ago, reached supervolcano status. Impact crater or caldera? Kiladze remains listed as a crater. But the rich supply of water ice surrounding the bowl-shaped feature sparked Emran's curiosity, and he wondered if it might be a cryovolcano instead. At first glance, the elongated oval bears a strong similarity to an impact crater. It's large, with an average diameter of 2.5 miles (4 kilometers). Its walls are irregularly shaped, and the complex features it would require could easily have been eroded by Pluto's active surface processes. The landscape itself is marked by pits and other geological features, many of which have collapsed. If an incoming impactor broke through the surface and exposed veins of frozen lava beneath, it could have created the explosive distribution of water ice seen on the surface. But when Emran dug into the topography maps of Pluto created by the New Horizons team, he realized there was a problem: The crater was too deep. Across the solar system, crater depth scales with crater diameter in a predictable way, and the same law appeared to hold true for other craters on Pluto — but for not Kiladze. At best, estimates put an impact crater of its size at 1.7 miles (2.74 km) wide. But with the activity flowing across Pluto, material would have been more likely to fill in the crater over time, making it even shallower. Haze particles would have piled up, and melting or slumping ices would have fallen inward. However, Kiladze isn't shallower than projected; it's deeper. Parts of the basin reach 2.5 deep, and the entire site averages nearly 2 miles (3 km) in depth. For these reasons, Emran and his colleagues suspect that Kiladze is a caldera, a massive depression created by the eruption and subsequent collapse of a volcano. Magma — or cryomagma — spewing from the surface rapidly over a short period of time can weaken the supporting material, causing it to collapse inward on itself. Despite the supervolcano's collapse, the eruptive power of Kiladze would have been impressive. Emran and his colleagues calculated that the explosion could have ejected as much as 240 cubic miles (1,000 cubic kilometers) of icy cryomagma across the surrounding region, achieving the definition of a supervolcano. 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Although much of the dwarf planet's surface is covered with a variety of ices, very little of the surface matches what you might find in your freezer at home. Temperatures on Pluto are so cold that water ice serves as the bedrock for the dwarf planet, while other ices pile on top. But in the neighborhood surrounding Kiladze, water ice stretches across the surface. The ice has traces of an unidentified ammoniated compound. "It's difficult to determine the exact composition," Emran said. In fact, that particular signature of ammonia is not seen anywhere else on Pluto. Ammonia may be what allows the frigid ice to flow. Its addition lowers the freezing point of water, allowing it to remain liquid for longer periods. Beneath the surface, pockets of water and ammonia could have avoided freezing as Pluto's bedrock solidified. Eventually, tectonic pressure could have driven the icy magma to the surface, spewing it across the landscape around Kiladze, Emran explained. The mysterious traces of ammonia could also help to date the cryovolcano. Pure ammonia is quickly obliterated by the solar wind, ultraviolet particles and cosmic rays. Its faint presence suggests that the latest eruption occurred fairly recently in Pluto's history, Emran said. Pluto's haze can help to nail down geological activity. The light shroud covers the dwarf planet — a result of methane and other gases jumping from solid to gas. As the particles grow, they eventually fall back to the surface and spread all over the dwarf planet. Grounded haze particles would cover the water ice like a blanket, obscuring signs of the cryolava, Emran explained. If such a layer had formed, New Horizons would have seen nitrogen-rich ice instead of signs of water-rich volcanism. 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2 days ago
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Light pollution is encroaching on observatories around the globe – making it harder for astronomers to study the cosmos
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Outdoor lighting for buildings, roads and advertising can help people see in the dark of night, but many astronomers are growing increasingly concerned that these lights could be blinding us to the rest of the universe. An estimate from 2023 showed that the rate of human-produced light is increasing in the night sky by as much as 10% per year. I'm an astronomer who has chaired a standing commission on astronomical site protection for the International Astronomical Union-sponsored working groups studying ground-based light pollution. My work with these groups has centered around the idea that lights from human activities are now affecting astronomical observatories on what used to be distant mountaintops. Hot science in the cold, dark night While orbiting telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope or the James Webb Space Telescope give researchers a unique view of the cosmos – particularly because they can see light blocked by the Earth's atmosphere – ground-based telescopes also continue to drive cutting-edge discovery. Telescopes on the ground capture light with gigantic and precise focusing mirrors that can be 20 to 35 feet (6 to 10 meters) wide. Moving all astronomical observations to space to escape light pollution would not be possible, because space missions have a much greater cost and so many large ground-based telescopes are already in operation or under construction. Around the world, there are 17 ground-based telescopes with primary mirrors as big or bigger than Webb's 20-foot (6-meter) mirror, and three more under construction with mirrors planned to span 80 to 130 feet (24 to 40 meters). The newest telescope starting its scientific mission right now, the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile, has a mirror with a 28-foot diameter and a 3-gigapixel camera. One of its missions is to map the distribution of dark matter in the universe. To do that, it will collect a sample of 2.6 billion galaxies. The typical galaxy in that sample is 100 times fainter than the natural glow in the nighttime air in the Earth's atmosphere, so this Rubin Observatory program depends on near-total natural darkness. Any light scattered at night – road lighting, building illumination, billboards – would add glare and noise to the scene, greatly reducing the number of galaxies Rubin can reliably measure in the same time, or greatly increasing the total exposure time required to get the same result. The LED revolution Astronomers care specifically about artificial light in the blue-green range of the electromagnetic spectrum, as that used to be the darkest part of the night sky. A decade ago, the most common outdoor lighting was from sodium vapor discharge lamps. They produced an orange-pink glow, which meant that they put out very little blue and green light. Even observatories relatively close to growing urban areas had skies that were naturally dark in the blue and green part of the spectrum, enabling all kinds of new observations. Then came the solid-state LED lighting revolution. Those lights put out a broad rainbow of color with very high efficiency – meaning they produce lots of light per watt of electricity. The earliest versions of LEDs put out a large fraction of their energy in the blue and green, but advancing technology now gets the same efficiency with "warmer" lights that have much less blue and green. Nevertheless, the formerly pristine darkness of the night sky now has much more light, particularly in the blue and green, from LEDs in cities and towns, lighting roads, public spaces and advertising. 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When these urban areas are adjacent to an observatory, the addition to the skyglow is much stronger, making detection of the faintest galaxies and stars that much harder. When the Mt. Wilson Observatory was constructed in the Angeles National Forest near Pasadena, California, in the early 1900s, it was a very dark site, considerably far from the 500,000 people living in Greater Los Angeles. Today, 18.6 million people live in the LA area, and urban sprawl has brought civilization much closer to Mt. Wilson. When Kitt Peak National Observatory was first under construction in the late 1950s, it was far from metro Tucson, Arizona, with its population of 230,000. Today, that area houses 1 million people, and Kitt Peak faces much more light pollution. Even telescopes in darker, more secluded regions – like northern Chile or western Texas – experience light pollution from industrial activities like open-pit mining or oil and gas facilities. The case of the European Southern Observatory An interesting modern challenge is facing the European Southern Observatory, which operates four of the world's largest optical telescopes. Their site in northern Chile is very remote, and it is nominally covered by strict national regulations protecting the dark sky. AES Chile, an energy provider with strong U.S. investor backing, announced a plan in December 2024 for the development of a large industrial plant and transport hub close to the observatory. The plant would produce liquid hydrogen and ammonia for green energy. Even though formally compliant with the national lighting norm, the fully built operation could scatter enough artificial light into the night sky to turn the current observatory's pristine darkness into a state similar to some of the legacy observatories now near large urban areas. This light pollution could mean the facility won't have the same ability to detect and measure the faintest galaxies and stars. RELATED STORIES — Light pollution poses serious threat to astronomy, skywatching and more, study says — Best light pollution filters for astrophotography 2025 — World's largest telescope threatened by light pollution from renewable energy project Light pollution doesn't only affect observatories. Today, around 80% of the world's population cannot see the Milky Way at night. Some Asian cities are so bright that the eyes of people walking outdoors cannot become visually dark-adapted. In 2009, the International Astronomical Union declared that there is a universal right to starlight. The dark night sky belongs to all people – its awe-inspiring beauty is something that you don't have to be an astronomer to appreciate. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Cosmopolitan
3 days ago
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Your horoscope for the week ending 17th August is bringing productivity and positivity
The week ahead is intense, but in a productive and positive way. Action planet Mars in Libra harmonises with Pluto Retrograde in Aquarius on 10th August, adding dynamism and charisma to our auric fields. The following day, Mercury turns direct, ending the retrograde story that began on 18th July in Leo. Now, we have the chance to mend fences with those we've had miscommunications with over the past few weeks. The same day, Saturn Retrograde in Aries aspects Uranus in Gemini, allowing us to embrace our quirks and power. Venus and Jupiter form a conjunction in Cancer on 12th August, making it a wonderful time for love and sentimentality. Do something nostalgic, like watch a movie that reminds you of your childhood or shop at your favourite old stores in your hometown. Mercury and Mars align on 14th August, giving our words strength and stamina. Venus connects with the Nodes of Destiny on 15th August, urging us to make major decisions about love that will affect our lives for the next few months. The way you express yourself is evolving. You're finding that not having the last word is better than debating the nuances of a discussion. Even if you are right, there is certainty in knowing that. If people want to argue, you should leave them on read until they calm down. There is beauty in the unknown because it allows you to find your true essence. You have time to figure out how you want to grow and what projects suit you. Also, you don't have to sweat the mistakes because they are part of your business and life learning curve. Let's press pause on the drama! You've been rocking around the clock with the theatrics, so it's best to take a moment to unwind and decide if your cause is worth fighting for. You might wish to opt out and hit reset with those you're beefing with to start anew. No one knows more than you about the power of family. Lately, you've been giving your brood lots of attention and affection. However, old issues from your youth are resurfacing, urging you to heal the root of the issue, which could cause tears. Keep the Kleenex close for the waterworks. Finding the perfect moment to say how you feel will be challenging. Therefore, you must create a magical vibe to tell your crush or significant other that you think they're the cat's meow. A lot of love, truthfulness, and heart can bring you the ship you desire as long as you're sincere. Asserting yourself does not come easily, since you never like to rock the boat and hate to cause conflict with others. If you stay in your lane with razor-sharp focus, you can get the promotion and raise you deserve, especially after burning the midnight oil for months to attain it. This is a fantastic week to have your glow-up. You will get noticed at the office, on social media, or in your peer group, leaving you feeling seen and respected. Your insights and wisdom are in demand, allowing you to lean into your fandom amongst colleagues and friends. Go, Libra! Sometimes you get too stuck in your head overanalysing matters. You might find yourself sussing out a situation to catch someone in the act of being shady. The opposite is happening this week, you'll be surprised by their goody two-shoes persona, which will leave you speechless and questioning your investigation. Who says romance is dead? Not you. This week you're levelling up your game and proving to your boo that you are able to show off your tender side. A candlelit dinner for two under the stars or a stroll on the beach will suffice nicely to win their heart. Making amends doesn't have to feel like the end of the world. Being occasionally wrong proves that you're human. No one is perfect, so the less you hold onto that notion, the better you'll be and the more likely you can begin a deeper understanding of those you care about. It seems as though people are not on your side due to their lack of aid when it comes to defending you; however, in reality, they need a chance to get the lowdown and will then offer support. Your squad is just trying to take the best approach for you. If you don't wish to be part of the goss, stop spilling tea about others. Karma is a boomerang, and it'll soon come back at you in full force. Do yourself a favour and dip out of the group text when it gets messy. Dealing with the aftermath won't be fun.
