Latest news with #TNO
New York Post
a day ago
- Science
- New York Post
Potential discovery of new dwarf planet adds wrinkle to Planet Nine theory
A team of scientists at the Institute for Advanced Study School of Natural Sciences in Princeton, New Jersey, might have found a new dwarf planet, potentially leading to more evidence of a theoretical super-planet. The scientists announced in a news release that they have found a trans-Neptune Object(TNO), code-named 2017OF201, located past the icy and desolate region of the Kuplier Belt. The TNO, which are described as minor planets that orbit the sun at a greater distance than Neptune, were found on the edge of our solar system. While there are plenty of other TNOs in the solar system, what makes 2017OF201 special is its large size and extreme orbit. One of the team leads, Sihao Cheng, along with Jiaxuan Li and Eritas Yang from Princeton University, made the discovery. The team used advanced computational methods to identify the object's distinctive trajectory pattern in the sky. 'The object's aphelion — the farthest point on the orbit from the Sun — is more than 1600 times that of the Earth's orbit,' Cheng said in the release. 'Meanwhile, its perihelion — the closest point on its orbit to the Sun — is 44.5 times that of the Earth's orbit, similar to Pluto's orbit.' 5 While there are plenty of other TNOs in the solar system, what makes 2017OF201 special is its large size and extreme orbit. Sihao Cheng et al. 5 The orbits of several TNO's including 2017OF201 labeled 'This TNO.' Sihao Cheng et al. 2017OF201 takes about 25,000 years to orbit the sun, making Yang suggest that 'It must have experienced close encounters with a giant planet, causing it to be ejected to a wide orbit.' Cheng also added that there may have been more than one step in its migration. 'It's possible that this object was first ejected to the Oort cloud, the most distant region in our solar system, which is home to many comets, and then sent back,' Cheng said. This discovery has significant implications for the current understanding of the layout of our outer solar system. 5 2017OF201 takes about 25,000 years to orbit the sun. Sihao Cheng et al. According to NASA, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown in January 2016 announced research that provided evidence for a planet about 1.5 times the size of Earth in the outer solar system. However, the existence of Planet X or Planet Nine is strictly theoretical as neither astronomer has actually observed such a planet. The theory puts the planet at around the same size as Neptune, far past Pluto somewhere near the Kuiper Belt, where 2017OF201 was located. 5 The four planets and sun of our solar system. NASA If it exists, it is theorized to have a mass of up to 10 times as much as Earth's with a distance of up to 30 times further than Neptune to the Sun. It would take between 10,000 and 20,000 Earth years to make one full orbit around the Sun. However, the area beyond the Kuiper Belt, where the object is located, had previously been thought to be essentially empty, but the team's discovery suggests that this is not so. 5 An artistic concept of the theorized Planet Nine made by Caltech on Jan. 20, 2016. Caltech/AFP via Getty Images Cheng said in the release that 2017OF201 only has about 1% of its orbit visible to us. 'Even though advances in telescopes have enabled us to explore distant parts of the universe, there is still a great deal to discover about our own solar system,' Cheng said. NASA mentioned that if Planet Nine exists, it could help explain the unique orbits of some smaller objects in the distant Kuiper Belt. As of now, Planet Nine remains all but a theory, but the existence of this far-off world rests on gravitational patterns in the outer solar system.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
A New Dwarf Planet Has Joined Our Solar System's Family—Meet Pluto's 'Extreme Cousin'
Earth has a new neighbor that lives far, far away. Scientists from the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Natural Sciences believe they have found a new dwarf planet in extreme outer space. Officially named 2017 OF201, the object is estimated to be about one-third the diameter of Pluto, making it large enough to be classified as a dwarf planet, the same designation given to Pluto in 2006. According to the International Astronomical Union, to be considered a planet, an object must orbit a star, be mostly round, and be big enough that its gravity clears away any other objects of similar size near its orbit. Dwarf planets, like Pluto, can't clear their orbit of debris. Sihao Cheng, an astrophysicist at the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Natural Sciences who led the team that discovered the object, described it as an "extreme 'cousin' of Pluto." The new finding is known as a trans-Neptunian object, or TNO, which are bodies in the solar system that orbit the sun beyond Neptune, which is 30 times more distant from the sun than Earth. Because the object takes an incredibly lengthy 25,000 years to complete one orbit around the sun, it's only detectable at certain times. Cheng discovered the object as part of an ongoing research project to identify TNOs and possible new planets in the outer solar system. The area beyond the Kuiper Belt, where the object is located, has previously been thought to be empty, but the team's discovery suggests otherwise. "2017 OF201 spends only 1 percent of its orbital time close enough to us to be detectable. The presence of this single object suggests there could be another hundred or so other objects with similar orbits and sizes; they are just too far away to be detectable now," Cheng said. He added: "Even though advances in telescopes have enabled us to explore distant parts of the universe, there is still a great deal to discover about our own solar system." Read the original article on Martha Stewart
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Science
- Newsweek
Astronomers Think They've Discovered a New Dwarf Planet in Our Solar System
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A team of astronomers believe they may have discovered a new dwarf planet—just like Pluto—on the edge of our solar system. The object—which orbits out beyond Neptune—has been named "2017 OF201" by the team, which was led by Sihao Cheng of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Cheng and colleagues estimate that the body has a diameter of more than 430 miles, which means that it may be large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet. While further observations are required to determine its exact size, current estimates suggest that 2017 OF201 is the second-largest known object in such a wide orbit. So-called "trans-Neptunian objects" (TNOs) like 2017 OF201 can vary dramatically in size—from as large as 1,477 miles in diameter (i.e. Pluto) down to just 22 miles like the peanut-shaped Arrokoth. A stock image showing the view of Pluto from space. A stock image showing the view of Pluto from space. buradaki/Getty Images The region of space that TNOs occupy is commonly known as the Kuiper Belt, named after the Dutch-American astronomer Gerard Kuiper. Indeed, the discovery of 2017 OF201 could suggest that the space beyond Neptune in the Kuiper Belt may not be empty after all. Cheng said: "The object's aphelion—the farthest point on the orbit from the Sun—is more than 1,600 times that of the Earth's orbit. Meanwhile, its perihelion—the closest point on its orbit to the Sun—is 44.5 times that of the Earth's orbit, similar to Pluto's orbit." The extreme orbit of 2017 OF201 suggests that it could take approximately 25,000 years to go once around the sun. This could highlight a complex history of gravitational interactions, the researchers suggest. Cheng and his colleagues used advanced computational methods to identify the TNO's trajectory. "2017 OF201 spends only one percent of its orbital time close enough to us to be detectable. 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 now," Cheng continued. The potential dwarf planet was announced by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center on May 21, 2025. Cheng was able to identify the TNO by pinpointing bright spots in an astronomical image database from the Victor M. Blanco Telescope and Canada France Hawaii Telescope. He was then able to connect possible groups of such spots that appeared to move across the sky in the way a TNO could also do. By using a computationally efficient algorithm, Cheng was able to identity 2017 OF201 across 19 different exposures over seven years. The researchers suggest that the discovery of another dwarf planet like Pluto could have significant implications for our understanding of the outer solar system. Newsweek has contacted Cheng and the Institute for Advanced Study via email for comment. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about space? Let us know via science@ Reference Cheng, S., Li, J., & Yang, E. (2025). Discovery of a dwarf planet candidate in an extremely wide orbit: 2017 OF201 (arXiv:2505.15806v1 [ arXiv.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
New minor planet discovered outside Pluto; details inside
Astronomers have discovered a new small planet far from Pluto, expanding our understanding of the solar system's far reaches. Nicknamed 2017 OF201, this trans-Neptunian object (TNO) is one of the largest distant bodies ever discovered, telling us something new about the Kuiper Belt and the outer reaches of our cosmic neighbourhood. A giant in the outer solar system 2017 OF201 was found in archival telescope observations and officially named by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center. Most fascinating about the object, perhaps, is its enormous size and unusual orbit. Measured estimates render it between 470 to 820 kilometres (roughly 290 to 510 miles) in diameter, putting it in the size of known dwarf planets and big asteroids like Ceres. Its orbit is extremely elongated, swinging it as close as 45 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun — roughly 45 times the distance from Earth to the Sun — to an astonishing 838 AU at its farthest distance. To put that into perspective, Neptune orbits at approximately 30 AU. This enormous elliptical orbit makes 2017 OF201 an extreme trans-Neptunian object (ETNO), a group that contains bodies living in the outermost zones of the solar system. The Kuiper Belt where Pluto and other frozen objects are found remains a mystery area with remnants of early solar system debris over 4.5 billion years ago. The 2017 OF201 discovery helps astronomers to make sense of how the objects came to be and how they evolved and formed, gaining data about the initial state in the solar system. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo What this does for planet nine and solar system science The 2017 OF201 find is under ongoing research into whether a ninth world is concealed in the distance past Neptune. The theoretically mentioned "Planet Nine" would be gravitationally dominant over the distances travelled by a cluster of ETNOs. While 2017 OF201's orbit is not an exact match for the predicted course of Planet Nine, each new object found in the outer reaches of the solar system provides valuable information that helps astronomers fine-tune their models and theories. Besides the Planet Nine hypothesis, tracking and observing distant objects like 2017 OF201 helps researchers gain more information about the solar system's periphery structure and dynamics. These objects are cosmic fossils that preserve the history of planetary migration, collisions, and other historic phenomena. Upcoming observatories like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will propel quicker discovery of distant solar system objects and give us a better vision of these distant regions. Today's exploration will be able to shed more light on the edges of the solar system and the workings that define our local space neighbourhood. In total, 2017 OF201 is an important addition to the portfolio of known trans-Neptunian objects. It not only fills the holes in what we know now but also pushes the limits of how far we know the solar system stretches to go, and sets the stage for promising paths to be pursued in the future. image credits: Canva
Zawya
07-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Netherlands: Wattlab launches SolarDeck, Plug-and-Play solar power for seagoing vessels
Wattlab, a Dutch specialist in maritime solar technology, has introduced its new SolarDeck system to the seagoing shipping market. SolarDeck features modular, deck-mounted solar panels that help reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions, with an estimated return on investment of 3–5 years. Installed on a seagoing general cargo vessel, it also offers substantial financial advantages under the Fuel EU Maritime and EU ETS regulations. Since its founding in 2017, Wattlab has focused on inland shipping with its Solar Flatrack system—modular, stackable panels with integrated inverters—used on over 25 vessels. Now, aiming to lower fuel costs and support maritime decarbonization, the company is moving into the seagoing sector with SolarDeck. 'At all times during the design of SolarDeck, we prioritised the shipowner's requirements. We know that 'time is money'. That's why the SolarDeck can be installed in a minimum amount of time using container twist lock fittings. It also does not impact normal loading and unloading procedures,' says Wattlab CEO Bo Salet. 'However, we also know – for cargo shipowners especially – that 'space is money'. In the event of a deck load such as offshore wind blades, the ship's crew can store the SolarDeck inside the volume of a 20-foot container, thus freeing up the deck for cargo.' Development and Testing Developed in collaboration with TNO (the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) and international shipping firm Vertom, SolarDeck has undergone 18 months of testing aboard Vertom's 7,280dwt dry cargo vessel Anette. The project was co-financed by the EU's Just Transition Fund. The tests confirmed SolarDeck's durability and effectiveness in maritime conditions. 'The test results show that SolarDeck performs well in the tougher environment – in terms of salinity and rougher sea states – of coastal shipping. Because salt water can drain freely from the solar panels, there's no chance of a salt crust forming. As such, SolarDeck generates the expected power output levels,' Salet explains. 'Furthermore, the system is robust enough to withstand storms as well as the usual day-to-day activities on board a seagoing cargo ship – while staying safe at all times.' Impact and Savings On a 119-meter-long and 14-meter-wide vessel like Anette, SolarDeck is expected to cut 20 metric tons of fuel and 68 metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually. These reductions also improve EEXI and CII scores, and for larger ships, the benefits scale accordingly. 'We are excited to introduce SolarDeck to the seagoing shipping industry – to show shipowners what this system can mean to their operations,' Salet concludes. 'SolarDeck isn't just a green upgrade. With a return on investment of 3 to 5 years, it's a smart investment.' EU Support The SolarDeck pilot has been supported by the European Union's Just Transition Fund, part of the EU Green Deal's broader goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050.
