A newly categorized minor planet, designated as 2017, has been added to the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center catalog. Discovered by a team led by Sihao Cheng, this object is classified as a transneptunian object (TNO), orbiting the Sun at an extreme distance—approximately 838 astronomical units—making it nearly 30 times farther from the Sun than Neptune.
With a size ranging from 290 to 510 miles (470-820 km), 2017 has earned the label of an extreme TNO (ETNO). Its unique orbit has sparked interest regarding the theoretical existence of a distant Planet 9, which could explain the unusual clustering of Kuiper Belt objects. While 2017 is not the anticipated Planet 9, it highlights the ongoing quest and discoveries in our solar system, which continue to intrigue astronomers.
Additionally, another slow-moving object beyond Neptune was found last month, further contributing to the search for Planet 9 and presenting potential explanations for unusual solar system dynamics. Overall, the discovery of 2017 serves as a reminder that the solar system is still full of surprises.
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