Farthest object in our solar sytem spotted

[Likely Guy]

Astronomers spot farthest known object in our solar system

Astronomers have spotted the farthest known object in our solar system — and they've nicknamed the pink cosmic body "Farout."

The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center announced the discovery Monday.

"Farout" is about 120 astronomical units away, which is 120 times the distance between Earth and the sun, or 18 billion kilometres. The previous record-holder was the dwarf planet Eris at 96 astronomical units. Pluto, by comparison, is 34 astronomical units away.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/farout-minor-planet-1.4949616

 

I love the name, I hope they name the next one "Waycool". 

 

[Imaginarynumber1]

Is it my patience?

[acute]

Don't get too excited. It's probably just a tiny thing close up.

[SHaYap]

10 hours ago, Likely Guy said:

I love the name, I hope they name the next one "Waycool". 

~

3 hours ago, acute said:

Don't get too excited. It's probably just a tiny thing close up.

~

So maybe they have to change the name to 'Groovy' ?

~

[Orphalesion]

I really hope they discover "Planet X" within my lifetime. Would be nice to have nine planets to the Solar System again and I'd be curious as to what they'd name it.

Edited December 18, 2018 by Orphalesion

[TomasaurusREKT]

9 hours ago, acute said:

Don't get too excited. It's probably just a tiny thing close up.

If that were the case it wouldn't be moving so slow though.

[Essan]

4 hours ago, Orphalesion said:

I really hope they discover "Planet X" within my lifetime. Would be nice to have nine planets to the Solar System again and I'd be curious as to what they'd name it.

Rupert 

https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Rupert

[paperdyer]

Some months ago, I read some scientists theorized that "Planet X"  or is it Planet IX" now, would have a slow orbit and take a thousand or more years to complete one "year".  I wonder if they knew something was there and just wanted to take the time to confirm it.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

14 hours ago, paperdyer said:

Some months ago, I read some scientists theorized that "Planet X"  or is it Planet IX" now, would have a slow orbit and take a thousand or more years to complete one "year".  I wonder if they knew something was there and just wanted to take the time to confirm it.

To account for the observed clustering of trans-Neptunian objects the hypothetical planet 9 would have to be a large object wit a mass around ten times that of Earth. Tues new objectis most definitely not planet 9.

As for knowing that there is something out there, astronomers know that there are objects much further out than this. They have long known of the existence of the Oort Cloud, the outer edge of which may be as far a s a light year from the sun. They know it exists as they can trace the orbits of long period comets back there, they just can't observe it directly yet.