Latest news with #Ceres
The Print
12 hours ago
- Science
- The Print
Possible new dwarf planet spotted near the edge of the solar system
Given the name 2017 OF201, the object falls into a category called trans-Neptunian objects that orbit the sun at a distance beyond that of Neptune. The object takes about 25,000 years to complete a single orbit of the sun, compared to 365 days for Earth to do so. The researchers called it one of the most distant visible objects in our solar system, and said its existence indicates that a vast expanse of space beyond the outermost planet Neptune and a region called the Kuiper Belt may not be deserted, as long thought. The Kuiper Belt is populated by numerous icy bodies. By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Scientists have identified an object about 435 miles (700 km) wide inhabiting the frigid outer reaches of our solar system that might qualify as a dwarf planet, spotting it as it travels on a highly elongated orbital path around the sun. The researchers said 2017 OF201 was identified in observations by telescopes in Chile and Hawaii spanning seven years. 'It is potentially large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet. Its orbit is very wide and eccentric, which means it experienced an interesting orbital migration path in the past,' said astrophysicist Sihao Cheng of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, who led the study with collaborators Jiaxuan Li and Eritas Yang, graduate students at Princeton University. Its size is estimated to be a bit smaller than Ceres, which is the smallest of the solar system's five recognized dwarf planets and has a diameter of about 590 miles (950 km). Pluto, the largest of those dwarf planets, has a diameter of about 1,477 miles (2,377 km). The mass of 2017 OF201 is estimated to be about 20,000 times smaller than Earth's and 50 times smaller than Pluto's. 'We don't know the shape yet. Unfortunately it is too far away and it is a bit difficult to resolve it with telescopes,' Cheng said. 'Its composition is totally unknown yet, but likely similar to other icy bodies.' The discovery was announced by the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union, an international organization of astronomers, and detailed in a study posted on the open-access research site arXiv. The study has not yet been peer reviewed. Earth's orbital distance from the sun is called an astronomical unit. 2017 OF201 is currently located at a distance of 90.5 astronomical units from the sun, meaning 90.5 times as far as Earth. But at its furthest point during its orbit, 2017 OF201 is more than 1,600 astronomical units from the sun, while the closest point on its orbit is about 45 astronomical units. That means it sometimes is closer to the sun than Pluto, whose orbital distance ranges from 30 to 49 astronomical units as it travels an elliptical path around the sun. The researchers suspect that the extreme orbit of 2017 OF201 may have been caused by a long-ago close encounter with the gravitational influence of a giant planet. 'We still don't know much about the solar system far away because currently it is difficult to directly see things beyond about 150 astronomical units,' Cheng said. 'The presence of this single object suggests that there could be another hundred or so other objects with similar orbit and size. They are just too far away to be detectable right now.' The five dwarf planets recognized by the International Astronomical Union are, in order of distance from the sun: Ceres, which is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, then Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris, which all orbit beyond Neptune. The organization defines a planet and a dwarf planet differently. A planet must orbit its host star – in our case the sun – and must be mostly round and sufficiently large that its gravitational strength clears away any other objects of similar size near its orbit. A dwarf planet must orbit the sun and be mostly round but it has not cleared its orbit of other objects. Cheng said the discovery of 2017 OF201 has implications for hypotheses involving the potential existence of a ninth planet in our solar system, dubbed Planet X or Planet Nine. This is because 2017 OF201's orbit does not follow the pattern exhibited by other known trans-Neptunian objects, which tend to cluster together. Some scientists had hypothesized that such clustering was caused by the gravity of a yet-to-be discovered planet. 'The existence of 2017 OF201 as an outlier to such clustering could potentially challenge this hypothesis,' Cheng said. (Reporting by Will Dunham; Editing by Daniel Wallis) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Science
- RTÉ News
Possible new dwarf planet spotted near the edge of the solar system
Scientists have identified an object about 700km wide inhabiting the frigid outer reaches of our solar system that might qualify as a dwarf planet, spotting it as it travels on a highly elongated orbital path around the sun. The researchers called it one of the most distant visible objects in our solar system and said its existence indicates that a vast expanse of space beyond the outermost planet Neptune and a region called the Kuiper Belt may not be deserted, as long thought. The Kuiper Belt is populated by numerous icy bodies. Given the name 2017 OF201, the object falls into a category called trans-Neptunian objects that orbit the sun at a distance beyond that of Neptune. The object takes about 25,000 years to complete a single orbit of the sun, compared to 365 days for Earth to do so. The researchers said 2017 OF201 was identified in observations by telescopes in Chile and Hawaii spanning seven years. "It is potentially large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet. Its orbit is very wide and eccentric, which means it experienced an interesting orbital migration path in the past," said astrophysicist Sihao Cheng of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, who led the study with collaborators Jiaxuan Li and Eritas Yang, graduate students at Princeton University. Its size is estimated to be a bit smaller than Ceres, which is the smallest of the solar system's five recognized dwarf planets and has a diameter of about 950km. Pluto, the largest of those dwarf planets, has a diameter of about 2,377km. The mass of 2017 OF201 is estimated to be about 20,000 times smaller than Earth's and 50 times smaller than Pluto's. "We don't know the shape yet. Unfortunately, it is too far away and it is a bit difficult to resolve it with telescopes," Mr Cheng said. "Its composition is totally unknown yet, but likely similar to other icy bodies." The discovery was announced by the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union, an international organisation of astronomers, and detailed in a study posted on the open-access research site arXiv. The study has not yet been peer-reviewed. Earth's orbital distance from the sun is called an astronomical unit. 2017 OF201 is currently located at a distance of 90.5 astronomical units from the sun, meaning 90.5 times as far as Earth. But at its furthest point during its orbit, 2017 OF201 is more than 1,600 astronomical units from the sun, while the closest point on its orbit is about 45 astronomical units. That means it sometimes is closer to the sun than Pluto, whose orbital distance ranges from 30 to 49 astronomical units as it travels an elliptical path around the sun. The researchers suspect that the extreme orbit of 2017 OF201 may have been caused by a long-ago close encounter with the gravitational influence of a giant planet. "We still don't know much about the solar system far away because currently it is difficult to directly see things beyond about 150 astronomical units," Mr Cheng said. "The presence of this single object suggests that there could be another hundred or so other objects with similar orbit and size. They are just too far away to be detectable right now." The five dwarf planets recognized by the International Astronomical Union are, in order of distance from the sun: Ceres, which is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, then Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris, which all orbit beyond Neptune. The organization defines a planet and a dwarf planet differently. A planet must orbit its host star - in our case the sun - and must be mostly round and sufficiently large that its gravitational strength clears away any other objects of similar size near its orbit. A dwarf planet must orbit the sun and be mostly round, but it has not cleared its orbit of other objects. Mr Cheng said the discovery of 2017 OF201 has implications for hypotheses involving the potential existence of a ninth planet in our solar system, dubbed Planet X or Planet Nine. This is because 2017 OF201's orbit does not follow the pattern exhibited by other known trans-Neptunian objects, which tend to cluster together. Some scientists had hypothesized that such clustering was caused by the gravity of a yet-to-be-discovered planet.
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Man accused of breaking into Ceres home, licking woman's toes while she slept
CERES — A Modesto man is accused of breaking into a Ceres woman's house and then biting and licking her toes while she slept, authorities said Friday. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office said this happened shortly after midnight on May 21. Cristian Alejandro Solorio Anguiano allegedly began stalking the woman at her job in February. Though other employees at the business confronted Anguiano on multiple occasions, investigators said his behavior escalated to the point that he would follow the woman home after her shifts and sleep in his car outside the residence. Witnesses reported that Anguiano tried checking doors to the home in the week leading up to the incident in an attempt to gain entry. Aguniano was positively identified as the suspect through witness statements and surveillance footage. On the night of the incident, after Anguiano allegedly put the woman's toes in his mouth, he is accused of trying to get into bed with her. The victim was able to push Angiuano off her and retrieve her phone to call 911. Anguiano fled the scene but was located near the woman's home the next day and taken into custody. Arrest photo of Cristian Alejandro Solorio Anguiano Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office Anguino was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail and faces charges of sexual battery, burglary, stalking and assault with the intent to commit a felony, authorities said. Bail for Anguino was set at $325,000.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Possible new dwarf planet spotted near the edge of the solar system
By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Scientists have identified an object about 435 miles (700 km) wide inhabiting the frigid outer reaches of our solar system that might qualify as a dwarf planet, spotting it as it travels on a highly elongated orbital path around the sun. The researchers called it one of the most distant visible objects in our solar system, and said its existence indicates that a vast expanse of space beyond the outermost planet Neptune and a region called the Kuiper Belt may not be deserted, as long thought. The Kuiper Belt is populated by numerous icy bodies. Given the name 2017 OF201, the object falls into a category called trans-Neptunian objects that orbit the sun at a distance beyond that of Neptune. The object takes about 25,000 years to complete a single orbit of the sun, compared to 365 days for Earth to do so. The researchers said 2017 OF201 was identified in observations by telescopes in Chile and Hawaii spanning seven years. "It is potentially large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet. Its orbit is very wide and eccentric, which means it experienced an interesting orbital migration path in the past," said astrophysicist Sihao Cheng of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, who led the study with collaborators Jiaxuan Li and Eritas Yang, graduate students at Princeton University. Its size is estimated to be a bit smaller than Ceres, which is the smallest of the solar system's five recognized dwarf planets and has a diameter of about 590 miles (950 km). Pluto, the largest of those dwarf planets, has a diameter of about 1,477 miles (2,377 km). The mass of 2017 OF201 is estimated to be about 20,000 times smaller than Earth's and 50 times smaller than Pluto's. "We don't know the shape yet. Unfortunately it is too far away and it is a bit difficult to resolve it with telescopes," Cheng said. "Its composition is totally unknown yet, but likely similar to other icy bodies." The discovery was announced by the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union, an international organization of astronomers, and detailed in a study posted on the open-access research site arXiv. The study has not yet been peer reviewed. Earth's orbital distance from the sun is called an astronomical unit. 2017 OF201 is currently located at a distance of 90.5 astronomical units from the sun, meaning 90.5 times as far as Earth. But at its furthest point during its orbit, 2017 OF201 is more than 1,600 astronomical units from the sun, while the closest point on its orbit is about 45 astronomical units. That means it sometimes is closer to the sun than Pluto, whose orbital distance ranges from 30 to 49 astronomical units as it travels an elliptical path around the sun. The researchers suspect that the extreme orbit of 2017 OF201 may have been caused by a long-ago close encounter with the gravitational influence of a giant planet. "We still don't know much about the solar system far away because currently it is difficult to directly see things beyond about 150 astronomical units," Cheng said. "The presence of this single object suggests that there could be another hundred or so other objects with similar orbit and size. They are just too far away to be detectable right now." The five dwarf planets recognized by the International Astronomical Union are, in order of distance from the sun: Ceres, which is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, then Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris, which all orbit beyond Neptune. The organization defines a planet and a dwarf planet differently. A planet must orbit its host star - in our case the sun - and must be mostly round and sufficiently large that its gravitational strength clears away any other objects of similar size near its orbit. A dwarf planet must orbit the sun and be mostly round but it has not cleared its orbit of other objects. Cheng said the discovery of 2017 OF201 has implications for hypotheses involving the potential existence of a ninth planet in our solar system, dubbed Planet X or Planet Nine. This is because 2017 OF201's orbit does not follow the pattern exhibited by other known trans-Neptunian objects, which tend to cluster together. Some scientists had hypothesized that such clustering was caused by the gravity of a yet-to-be discovered planet. "The existence of 2017 OF201 as an outlier to such clustering could potentially challenge this hypothesis," Cheng said.
Metropolis Japan
3 days ago
- General
- Metropolis Japan
May 30
March 20 ~ April 18 Venus in Aries adds harmony and comfort, especially for you. Cash in on as much as you can. You're part of the equation of her generosity. By next week, Venus will transit away from your sign. Chiron the healer and lucky streak Jupiter expand connections. They're both in a positive alignment with Venus, meant for your enjoyment and success. April 19 ~ May 19 Dreams are everything this week. Venus, the planet of beauty, money and love revs up the appeal. Connections this goddess makes can sustain you. Chiron, the healer, and Jupiter, attracting success, work with Venus on your behalf. If there is something you want or feel you need, visualizing it has more impact now. You have angels on your shoulder. May 20 ~ June 20 If friends connect in from every direction, you've earned it. Gemini is generous to others. You blend light and breezy logic with a firm foundation to back it up. You know how to rise above the fray and see the best parts of the world. Venus, Chiron, Ceres, Neptune and Saturn bring endless group opportunities. The Sun in your sign lights up Happy Birthday wishes for you. June 21 ~ July 21 Jupiter, Mercury and the Sun currently influence your dreams, secrets, and inner world. Unexpressed needs are soothed as you receive understanding from others. Jupiter makes a beautiful aspect with Venus. It's like a gift for your spirit. Then Pallas Athene, the warrior goddess, receives a benefit from Mars. They help each other move forward with a calm strength. July 22 ~ August 22 You still have Mars in your sign. If you're pushing yourself to do more, or standing up for those who can't, it's like having a guardian warrior at your side. The free energy machine is going at full tilt, especially for you. Venus connects with Chiron and sextiles Jupiter. The goddess of love and money may entice you to travel, deal with justice, or delve into your spiritual bank account. August 23 ~ September 21 Conversations go deep and directly to the point. Vesta, Ceres and Juno bring the support and back-up you've been waiting for. Dredging up details that got stuck in the mud are not a waste of time, no matter who is trying to run from it. Structure can be built from your wisdom. Venus connects with Chiron and Jupiter to enchant and enhance your career. September 22 ~ October 22 Chiron, Venus, Ceres, Neptune and Saturn all compete for your attention. The thing is, if you're interacting on a close level with someone, they may seem like a blur right now. Keeping so many projects and requirements in the air pays off – but when? Ruler Venus connects with Chiron for a soothing healing. This goddess also makes a positive connection with Jupiter for expansion. October 23 ~ November 21 Scorpios work in unique ways. What you are doing is important. It may not be well-known or understood just yet, but you will increase your following. Your sign can go through the muck and find a treasure, bringing it to the light of day for a shiny restoration. Venus connects with Chiron for healing at work. This goddess resonates with Jupiter for big transformations. November 22 ~ December 20 This could be a big week for you. Let yourself see your value in the eyes of others, then recognize your impact. The responsibility is like a kaleidoscope – fascinating, but will the patterns be pleasing? There are beneficial starry aspects to enjoy. Venus connects with Chiron for love and healing. Ruler Jupiter and Venus could bring financial luck and a luxurious delight. December 21 ~ January 18 This is a week to catch your breath, though it may feel the opposite at home. Chiron, Venus, Ceres, Neptune and Saturn help you take stock of how much you have done. Relish the beauty you create. Some of it may be to soothe your soul or remind you of accomplishments. Venus connects with Chiron for healing, then sextiles Jupiter to expand your presence at work. January 19 ~ February 17 You could build an industry on all you know. Perhaps you already have. Aquarians are always into the next new thing, because half the time, you made it. Your contributions are just as important as ever. Venus, goddess of love, beauty and money, connects with Chiron for healing. Then Venus aspects Jupiter to make conversations lucrative at home base. February 18 ~ March 19 Some people like to rush through their day. The same could be said for planets influencing your finances. Saturn, Neptune, Ceres, Venus and Chiron all want to have their case heard, with your income allocated to their interests. This week Venus may have her way. The goddess of love, money and beauty connects to Chiron for healing. Then Venus and Jupiter take a chance.
