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Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Planet nine stays hidden, but the solar system has a new mystery guest
Astronomers have discovered a new dwarf planet far beyond Neptune . Named 2017 OF201 , the object measures roughly 700 kilometres across and lies three times farther from Earth than Neptune. Its elongated orbit swings out over 1,600 times the distance between Earth and the Sun, taking it deep into the Oort cloud—a distant shell of icy objects surrounding the solar system. The new find comes from a US-based research team that had been searching for the mysterious Planet Nine. While they didn't locate the long-theorised giant planet, their work led to the unexpected discovery of 2017 OF201. What makes 2017 OF201 different According to lead author Sihao Cheng of the Institute for Advanced Study in New Jersey, the orbit of this object spans 25,000 years. During that time, it is visible from Earth for only around 0.5 percent of its orbit—about one century. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Fix Grammatical Errors and Typos With this Desktop App Grammarly Install Now Undo 'It's already getting fainter and fainter,' Cheng said. Despite being three times smaller than Pluto, the object is likely large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet. Pluto itself, once considered the ninth planet, was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. Live Events Amateur astronomer Sam Deen , aged 23, independently traced 2017 OF201 using archival data. 'OF201 is, in my opinion, probably one of the most interesting discoveries in the outer solar system in the last decade,' he said. A challenge to the Planet Nine theory The theory of Planet Nine originated from observations that icy objects in the Kuiper Belt tend to move in clustered orbits. Scientists suggested this pattern might be caused by the gravitational pull of an undiscovered planet, possibly up to 10 times the size of Earth. However, 2017 OF201 does not follow the clustered pattern seen in those earlier discoveries. This raises questions about whether the clustering is really due to an unseen planet. Cheng acknowledged this, saying the object's orbit could 'pose a problem for the Planet Nine theory ,' though he added that more data is required before drawing firm conclusions. Samantha Lawler, an astronomer at the University of Regina in Canada, described the find as a 'great discovery' and added that it weakens the original argument for Planet Nine. 'The original argument for Planet Nine is getting weaker and weaker,' she said. Despite the doubts, Cheng remains hopeful. 'We're in an era when big telescopes can see almost to the edge of the universe,' he said. 'But what is in our backyard still largely remains unknown.' The researchers are now requesting time on high-powered observatories , including the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble, to study the object further. Meanwhile, astronomers are also looking ahead to the Vera Rubin Observatory , due to become operational in Chile this year. Deen is optimistic. 'With Vera Rubin on the horizon I don't think we'll have to wonder about its existence for much longer,' he said.
News18
3 days ago
- Science
- News18
Astronomers May Have Found New Dwarf Planet And It's Casting Doubt On Planet Nine Theory
Last Updated: Spotted beyond Neptune, the newly identified object follows an odd path through space, one that complicates a decades-old theory about a giant planet lurking in the dark A Surprise In The Hunt For Planet Nine In the vast, dark outskirts of our solar system, astronomers have long speculated about the existence of a massive, hidden world—Planet Nine—lurking beyond Neptune's orbit. But while chasing this elusive celestial body, a team of US-based astronomers has instead discovered what could be a new dwarf planet. Named 2017 OF201, the newly identified object is estimated to be around 700 kilometres wide—roughly a third the size of Pluto—according to a preprint study published online last week. Though not yet peer-reviewed, the finding is already raising fresh questions about the Planet Nine hypothesis. Extreme Orbit In The Oort Cloud The object is currently more than three times farther from Earth than Neptune. Its highly elongated orbit stretches over 1,600 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun—taking it deep into the icy ring of debris known as the Oort Cloud. 'It's already getting fainter and fainter," said lead author Sihao Cheng of the Institute for Advanced Study in New Jersey, speaking to AFP. The object completes one full orbit around the Sun in about 25,000 years and is only visible from Earth for about 0.5 per cent of that time—roughly a century. Cheng believes its discovery suggests 'there are many hundreds of similar things on similar orbits" in the Kuiper Belt, the region beyond Neptune populated by icy bodies. Tracked Through Old Data Despite the fading visibility, the object has already been tracked independently by Sam Deen, a 23-year-old amateur astronomer from California, who located 2017 OF201 in older datasets. 'OF201 is probably one of the most interesting discoveries in the outer solar system in the last decade," Deen told AFP. Cheng and his team are now seeking observation time with major facilities such as the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, and ALMA to study the object further. He called the find 'lucky", especially after more than six months of combing through difficult data in the search for Planet Nine. Challenging The Planet Nine Theory Around two decades ago, astronomers noted that some icy rocks in the Kuiper Belt appeared to have clustered orbits, suggesting the influence of a massive unseen object. This gave rise to the theory of Planet Nine—also known as Planet X, a name dating back more than a century. The theory gained traction due to the unusual alignment of these distant objects, thought to be shaped by the gravitational pull of a planet up to ten times the size of Earth. However, when Cheng's team modelled 2017 OF201's orbit, they found it did not follow the expected clustering trend. This could pose a challenge to the Planet Nine hypothesis. Astronomer Samantha Lawler of the University of Regina in Canada told AFP that this 'great discovery" is yet another example that 'the original argument for Planet Nine is getting weaker and weaker". The Vera Rubin Telescope May Hold Answers The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, expected to begin operations later this year, is likely to provide crucial data. Its deep-sky surveys may confirm or debunk the existence of Planet Nine once and for all. Deen said it is discouraging that no trace of Planet Nine has been found so far. 'But with Vera Rubin on the horizon, I don't think we'll have to wonder about its existence for much longer." Still Hope For A Hidden Giant Despite the complications raised by the discovery of 2017 OF201, Cheng remains hopeful that a massive planet could still be hiding in the solar system's far reaches. 'We're in an era when big telescopes can see almost to the edge of the universe," he said. 'But what is in our backyard still largely remains unknown." With inputs from AFP.
National Observer
23-05-2025
- Politics
- National Observer
Joyce Green
[email protected] About Joyce Green Joyce Green is professor emerita of political science at the University of Regina. Her research interests focus on Aboriginal-settler relations and the possibility of decolonization in Canada; and a transformative ecology of relationships with place, epitomized by many traditional Aboriginal conceptions of land and place.
Global News
09-05-2025
- Business
- Global News
Saskatchewan post-secondary students will face higher tuition costs this fall
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Students are worried about the upcoming school year after the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina announced that their tuition will be rising. At the U of S, tuition will rise by 3.8 per cent and at the U of R, tuition will rise by 4 per cent. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy University of Saskatchewan Students Union president Emma Wintermute is worried about financial security for students. She shared that tuition is part of a bigger issue with the rising cost of food and rent. Saskatchewan Polytechnic did not share how much tuition will increase, if at all. Watch the video above for students' reaction to rising schooling costs.
CBC
07-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Sask. now offering online therapy course for new and expecting mothers, partners
Social Sharing New and expecting parents experiencing mental health difficulties in Saskatchewan are now able to seek professional help through a new online therapy course. The Wellbeing Course for New and Expecting Parents is being offered though the University of Regina's online therapy unit, and is an expansion of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) developed to help Saskatchewan residents dealing with mental and chronic health conditions. "These are really important offerings, and the fact that they're free for people, you know, it's just all about removing barriers to access," Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. The province has spent $380,000 on the new course and is also providing more than $1.6 million to support the ICBT program. "In-person services are important, but really increasingly, I think more and more people are used to doing things online, and being able to offer these sort of supports virtually or online are very important," Cockrill said. The new course supports expectant and new parents who may be experiencing mental health difficulties like anxiety or depression, during and after pregnancy. A non-birthing parents resource still under development will be included in the program as well. "I can say that as a relatively new dad, there's changes in your mental health when you bring a new child into the world," Cockrill said. Since 2015, nearly 14,000 residents have accessed ICBT services, The new course for parents began accepting clients in February. Organizers say the early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. "Parents [are] sharing that it's helping sort of manage stress, it's helping manage their thoughts around parenting and interactions, also improving communication with their partners," said Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos, director of the online therapy unit. She said that when developing the course, her team was specifically focused on postpartum women and new parents, where she said she's seen a gap in care. "We formed this working group that's helped us really tailor and refine those materials to further take into account expecting parents, because we know that's really important as well as non birthing parents," Hadjistavropoulos said. Through the course, parents and new mothers will complete educational modules with the support of therapists. Hadjistavropoulos also mentioned that the course has considerations for each client's diverse background. "We do try and take into account diversity and that is actually something that's really important to our research. So we're interviewing clients as they go through, if they agree, and asking them about what could we do better overtime," she said. In addition to the new course, the province has boosted the annual funding to HealthLine 811 by $6.6 million for 2025-26, and the Ministry of Health is also working with the Saskatchewan Health authority to establish a maternal mental health co-ordinator position at 811. "This is the type of service that when somebody calls 811, we can refer them to this service and say, 'look at this. Did you know that this was available?'" Cockrill said.
