BBC News : Astronomers in the US have uncovered previously unknown objects in the outer reaches of the Solar System.
Co-authors Scott Sheppard and Chad Trujillo have submitted the details of their discoveries to the Minor Planet Center, which catalogues such objects, along with asteroids and comets. Its orbit takes it some 3,000 times further than the Earth is from the Sun.
The Oort Cloud is the large shell of objects that occupies the outermost region of the Solar System.
Larger theory (solar system)
Dr. Sheppard and Dr. Trujillo, from the Carnegie Institution for Science and Northern Arizona University respectively, are studying the alignment of new planet-like bodies within broader theories of a distant ninth planet in the Solar System.
The evidence for this planet has largely been deduced by peculiarities of distant Solar System objects.
One new celestial body, 2013 FT28, shares orbit characteristics with bodies supporting the planet nine idea, but also exhibits differences. Astronomers suggest that the hypothetical ninth planet, if real, is significantly more massive than Earth and located at least 200 times the Sun-Earth distance in the outer Solar System.
The new work should help constrain the location of this proposed ninth planet.
“The smaller objects can lead us to the much bigger planet we think exists out there,” said Dr Sheppard.
Newly discovered objects within the Solar System have provided intriguing insights. These objects, found by researchers, shed light on the composition and dynamics of our cosmic neighborhood. The discoveries were made through meticulous observations and analysis conducted by experts in the field. This new knowledge contributes to our understanding of the vast expanse of space that surrounds us. Further exploration and investigation of these objects promise to unravel even more mysteries of the Solar System.
