New Dwarf Planet Discovered Beyond Pluto Challenges Existence of Planet Nine
In the icy depths of the outer Solar System, astronomers have recently identified a potential new member of the dwarf planet family. Known as 2017 OF201, this rocky object measures approximately 700 kilometers (435 miles) in diameter, meeting the criteria for classification as a dwarf planet. What sets 2017 OF201 apart is its unusual orbit, which raises questions about the existence of a hypothesized ninth planet in the distant reaches of our cosmic neighborhood.
Lead astrophysicist Sihao Cheng from the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, remarked, “The object’s extreme orbit features an aphelion over 1,600 times the Earth’s distance from the Sun and a perihelion 44.5 times that of Earth, comparable to Pluto’s orbit.”
Cheng and his research team have been actively searching for and studying trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), icy bodies that orbit beyond Neptune in the Kuiper Belt. The discovery of 2017 OF201 was made possible through data collected by the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) and the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) between 2011 and 2018, allowing for a detailed characterization of the object and its orbit.
With an orbital period of 25,000 years, 2017 OF201’s elliptical path extends from 44 to 1,600 astronomical units, venturing into the inner Oort Cloud. The origins of this peculiar orbit remain a mystery, with potential explanations ranging from gravitational interactions with massive objects to complex evolutionary processes.
Contrary to previous speculations about the presence of a ninth planet in the outer Solar System, simulations by Cheng’s team suggest that 2017 OF201’s stability is compromised in the presence of a hypothetical Planet Nine. This finding challenges the existence of such a planet and underscores the likelihood of numerous undiscovered objects similar to 2017 OF201 lurking in the Kuiper Belt and beyond.
Cheng speculates, “2017 OF201’s detection hints at the possible existence of numerous similar objects that currently elude our observation due to their extreme distances.” This discovery underscores the ongoing mystery surrounding our Solar System and highlights the need for continued exploration and discovery.
The International Astronomical Union has officially recognized 2017 OF201 as a new addition to our celestial family, with detailed findings published in a preprint on the arXiv platform.
