Scientists Detect Mysterious Object in Deep Solar System
It's possible the trans-Neptunian object, dubbed 2017 OF201, is large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet, making it an "extreme 'cousin' of Pluto," according to Princeton postdoc Sihao Cheng, who coauthored a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper on the findings.
The discovery was also confirmed by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center last week, lending it an aura of growing credibility.
It's a particularly intriguing finding, again bolstering the case that the area of our solar system past the orbit of Neptune is far busier than previously thought. Astronomers have long suggested the existence of a ninth planet, dubbed Planet X or Nine, whose immense gravitational pull could be causing trans-Neptunian objects in the region to act unusually.
However, the latest findings could challenge the hypothesis, suggesting 2017 OF201, among other objects, could be causing the strange behavior instead.
Cheng and his colleagues used advanced computational models to hone in on the mysterious object's unusual trajectory. 2017 OF201 is an outlier thanks to its enormous size and immense distance from the Sun.
"The object's aphelion — the farthest point on the orbit from the Sun — is more than 1600 times that of Earth's orbit," said Cheng in a statement about the research. "Meanwhile, its perihelion — the closest point on its orbit to the sun — is 44.5 times that of Earth's orbit, similar to Pluto's orbit."
Thanks to its extreme orbit, it takes the planetoid a whopping 25,000 Earth years to complete a journey around the Sun.
How it got out there remains a bit of a mystery.
"It must have experienced close encounters with a giant planet, causing it to be ejected to a wide orbit," said coauthor and Princeton PhD Eritas Yang in the statement.
The team proposes that 2017 OF201 went through a series of complex maneuvers to end up in its unusual trajectory.
"There may have been more than one step in its migration," Cheng explained. "It's possible that this object was first ejected to the Oort cloud, the most distant region in our solar system, which is home to many comets, and then sent back."
The findings could challenge the Planet Nine hypothesis since 2017 OF201 isn't part of the observed clusters of objects that "cluster in specific orientations," as coauthor and Princeton graduate student Jiaxuan Li said.
These clusters have been found to have strange gravitational characteristics, orbiting at a very different angle than the solar system's planets.
Intriguingly, there could be plenty of other weird "cousins" of Pluto in the far reaches of the solar system. But spotting them could prove extremely difficult.
"2017 OF201 spends only one percent of its orbital time close enough to us to be detectable," Cheng said. "The presence of this single object suggests that there could be another hundred or so other objects with similar orbit and size; they are just too far away to be detectable now."
"Even though advances in telescopes have enabled us to explore distant parts of the universe, there is still a great deal to discover about our own solar system," he added.
More on Planet Nine: Scientists Say They May Have Spotted a Huge Hidden Planet Deep in Our Solar System
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Bradshaw: Elite college admissions is now a game of chicken that most don't know they're playing
In the high-stakes world of elite college admissions, families like to believe they're driving the process. They research schools, compare rankings, sign up for campus tours, and encourage their high-achieving teens to 'find the right fit.' But as decisions grow more opaque and acceptance rates dip into the low single digits, many applicants are realizing too late that they've misread the rules of the game. The truth is, top-tier admissions today is less like applying for a job — and more like a high-speed game of chicken. Colleges want to admit students who are almost certain to say yes. Applicants, meanwhile, want to keep their options open. What happens when neither side flinches? You crash. It's called yield protection, and if you haven't heard of it, you probably don't know why your valedictorian didn't get into Vanderbilt — or why that quiet sophomore who never joined a single club just got into Princeton. Yield protection refers to a quiet, unofficial practice where elite schools waitlist or reject top students they believe won't attend. If you're a student with a near-perfect GPA, a 1560 SAT, and no demonstrated interest in Northwestern, you might be quietly bumped in favor of a slightly lower-scoring peer who took the campus tour, emailed admissions, and applied Early Decision. The numbers explain why. Colleges are ranked not just by selectivity but by yield — the percentage of admitted students who enroll. A high yield suggests a school is a top choice. A low yield looks desperate. Schools care — a lot. So they make educated guesses: Will this kid actually come here? If the answer is no — or even maybe — they move on. And because none of this is ever made public, families are left scratching their heads, blaming bad luck or overconfidence. Here's the kicker: The most prepared families have already gamed the system. They know that the 'safety vs. reach' model is outdated. They focus instead on signal management — sending cues to colleges that their child is serious. That means applying Early Decision (if financially possible), visiting campuses in person, attending local info sessions, joining mailing lists, and even writing optional 'Why us?' essays with tactical precision. In other words: not just being a great applicant, but making sure a school knows it's one of your top three. This is why elite admissions now favors two types of students: the early-bird committed, and the under-the-radar wildcard. The first locks in a spot through clear signals of interest. The second gets through because they're just too interesting to ignore. The student caught in the middle — qualified, but hedging — gets culled. What's strange is how few families understand this. Even among top prep schools and international consultants, many still cling to a 1990s mindset: cast a wide net, avoid narrowing options, let the offers roll in. That model doesn't work anymore — not at the top. Consider Emory University. Its acceptance rate last year was just under 12%, but its Early Decision admit rate was more than double that. Northwestern accepted fewer than 7% overall — but closer to 20% of ED applicants. These are not anomalies. They're incentives. And they're growing stronger every year. The shift isn't just strategic. It's philosophical. As elite universities chase prestige and rankings, they've begun acting more like hedge funds — optimizing every metric, managing reputational risk, and placing bets based not just on talent, but probability. That includes gaming their own data to impress U.S. News and World Report rankings. For students and families, this raises uncomfortable questions. Should you apply Early Decision to a school that's not your first choice, just to improve your odds? Should you flatter a school with emails and visits, even if you'd rather go elsewhere? Should you hide the fact you're applying to Ivies from a school like Rice or Tufts? These are hard choices. But smart families are at least aware they exist. The worst outcome isn't rejection. It's being shut out because you didn't know the rules had changed. Admissions is still a meritocracy — but it's not a passive one. It rewards not just brilliance, but strategy. And in this game of chicken, the schools aren't blinking.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Pisces, Your August Horoscope Wants You to Slow Down & Be Present
Remember to be present. Life will move faster than ever, as your Pisces horoscope for August 2025 says. Leo season will encompass your sixth house of mundane activities, work, and routine. Financial worries will plague you at the beginning of this month, since Venus will argue with Neptune and Saturn retrograde on the first day. Setting aside time and resources for fun might not seem possible if you're financially stressed. You may have to make some temporary sacrifices to improve your overall financial status. Take a stab at your finances after Mars enters Libra on August 6. You may realize that there are some marginal yet unexpected changes you can make in your personal life to improve your stability and security. These changes could even help you get out of your funk by the full moon in Aquarius on August 9. More from StyleCaster Aries, Your August Horoscope Predicts Plot Twists in Your Love Life Taurus, Your August Horoscope Wants You to Improve Your Work-Life Balance Confront your fears of time passing, inactivity, and FOMO when Mars meets Pluto retrograde a day later. It will be mentally and emotionally overwhelming, but addressing your worries can help you lay them to rest. You will feel clearer about what you want to do with your time once Mercury retrograde ends on August 11. Curveballs regarding your personal life, work, and finances will still pop up, but you won't feel as on edge. Set aside time to have fun and enjoy your summer when Venus conjoins Jupiter in Cancer on August 12. Whatever you do or whoever you spend time with will remind you there's more to life than worrying. Don't rush into new commitments mid-August. Mars will incite Mercury to make a decision, but you don't have to if you're not ready. There will be plenty of time to deliberate what's worth prioritization after Virgo season begins on August 22. Virgo season will ask you to be more discerning and mindful of what you take on. Keep this in mind over the next six months, as a new chapter begins under the new moon in Virgo a day later. You have all the time in the world—there's no need to rush. Take back control of your life when Uranus throws the sun off its game on August 24. The stress of trying to do it all will finally erupt, causing you to react uncharacteristically. Loved ones, peers, and colleagues might be surprised. In reality, you're more than ready to refocus your life once Venus enters self-oriented Leo the next day. Put yourself first; doing so will help you redefine what you want from your life. By August 27, you may want to set aside personal time to relax and recuperate. Venus will oppose Pluto retrograde, which will help you take a step back from responsibilities and social obligations to focus on yourself. As August ends and September begins, let this be your reminder to take it one day at a time to avoid feeling overstimulated. Read your full 2025 horoscope. Best of StyleCaster 10 At-Home Date Ideas That'll Make You Feel Like You're Living in a Rom-Com The 13 Best MasterClass Courses Are 40% Off for a Limited-Time Spring Sale The 11 Best Low-Sugar Wines That Still Taste Delicious Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Here's which zodiac signs are getting lucky — and which are getting left behind in August 2025
Welcome to August, folks — the lion's heart of Leo season. This month is wild, with retrogrades afoot and lessons aplenty. July came in hot, heavy and trouble-making with Uranus shifting into Gemini and Saturn, Neptune, Chiron — and Mercury retrorading in fire signs. Blessedly, August brings a bit of reprieve. Advertisement On August 6, Mars, our planet of will and war, moves into the diplomatic climes of Libra — bringing with it an energetic emphasis on reciprocity in relationships. In love dynamics, now is the hour to shoot straight about what is and isn't working and who is doing the lion's share of the emotional labor. With Mercury in Leo retrograde or in its post-retrograde shadow for the majority of the month, conversations can be challenging. However, because Leo rules the heart and Libra is the ambassador of tact, if we speak the truth without fear, our closest relationships can evolve for the better — together or apart. 14 We can think of the Lion's Gate as the beginning of a new year and likewise offer our reflections on the past and resolutions for the future. AdnanArif – Advertisement August 8th brings the peak or widest jaw opening of the Lion's Gate Portal. As the ancient Egyptians did, we can think of the Lion's Gate as the beginning of a new year and likewise offer our reflections on the past and resolutions for the future. Leo is associated with children, creativity and play. The Lion's Gate offers the opportunity to revisit our inner child and to ask for insights on how to carry and care for who we once were and who we might yet be. Advertisement On August 9th, the full moon rises and shines in the sign of the water bearer, asking us to consider whether we are prioritizing ourselves as a solo act or as one among the constellation of our community. On the same day, Uranus, the co-ruler of Aquarius, will form a divine Grand Air Trine with Mars and Pluto, propelling us toward breakthrough. To paraphrase Jim Harrison, listen close to the gods that are shouting in your ear at this very moment. 14 Mercury stations direct on August 11th but we'll be under the influence of the planet's post-retrograde shadow until August 25th. – On August 11, Mercury stations direct, though we will still fall through the fog of confusion and miscommunication until the planet clears its shadow on August 25th. Advertisement The sun climbs into the fastidious bread basket of Virgo on August 22. Here, the energy is prime for pruning, helping us to plan for the future, cut loose what is not nourishing or efficient and get our bodies right in the here and now. Right on the heels of the sun digging into the dirt of Virgo, we welcome the Virgo new moon on August 23. This new moon rises at a rare and potent 0°, giving us the clearest slate and brightest chance to reset. However, the new moon will form a wild out square with buck the system, burn the boats Uranus. Owing to this volatility, your wishes are best spent in the days following the new moon. On August 25, Venus leaves the moody mud of Cancer for the stage lights of Leo, a transition from couch to pedestal, pajamas to PVC. This is Venus at its most heart-forward, so don't hold back or in, folks. Let it ride, shout it from the rooftops, and swing from the rafters. Good luck out there. 14 Aries might need to course correct this month. Tutsi_N – Your ruling planet in your opposite sign centralizes love and relationships for you this month, Aries. You may find yourself measuring the investment of your most intimate dynamics, finding yourself wanting or wanting more. Advertisement Here, you are asked to bridge the gap between conquest and connection, confrontation and conversation, wanting and witnessing. Whether this arithmetic brings you closer to the one you love or to the realization that you are both better served by severing ties — the sum total will be clear. When the sun leaves the pyrotechnic arena, Leo, for the blessed, bountiful dirt of Virgo, your focus moves to how you move through daily life and how you care for the tender animal of your own body. If you've been treating that body more like a dumpster than a divine vessel, now is the hour to course correct. 14 This is the time to reevaluate your work. Tutsi_N – Advertisement Mars in Libra is rounding the bases in your sixth house of service and ritual, Taurus. This energy asks you to battle for the benefit of your body. Do not compromise when it comes to treating yourself well and adhering to a pattern that makes you feel happy, healthy and free. The full moon in Aquarius on August 9th may illuminate the ways that your work is no longer working for you. If you wake up feeling more dead-eyed than ready to go, it may be time to bow out. Blessedly, the sun moving into Virgo on August 22 offers a tactful slap from your inner child, imploring you to move toward vitality and the alignment of your body with your incarnate mission on this fraught and fragile plane. Change is meant to scare you, but the next few weeks are here to remind you that you will always have what you need and standing still is falling behind. Advertisement 14 Cut out the clutter in your mind and homes, Geminis. Tutsi_N – Ahoy, Gemini! This month, Mars in your fifth house of play and inspiration feeds your need to create and copulate. Whether getting it on or letting it out, reflect on the ways both actions, sex and art, stem from the sacral chakra and can both complement and coax the other. Virgo season comes wth one hand open and the other holding a pair of pruning shears. Here, mutable earth asks you to cut out the clutter within your home and the chatter in the cave of your mind. Advertisement At month's end, Venus moves into Leo and your third house of communion. Send a letter, record the fevered, fever pitch of your orgasm, recite a poem to a stranger, whatever you do, let words and sound be a quick cure. 14 Prioritize having some peaceful time to yourself. Tutsi_N – What gives you peace, Cancer? Is it the exhale of home, the body of your lover, the quiet hour before the sun pulls itself up? Whatever it is, make your living space a conduit for it. With prayer candles or blackout curtains, earplugs or a record player — practice making peace your constant companion and where you lay your head, the bed from which all things spring. In this wake, your intuition will tune itself to the frequency of poetry, trust the images that surface and the messages that wash ashore. 14 A yearly rebirth will make you feel fine as wine. Tutsi_N – Happy return of the sun to you, Leo. A retrograde parade is a piss poor way to celebrate the occasion, but here we are and from here we will climb out and up. Coupled with Mercury retrograde, Mars in Libra adds a sense of weaponry to your words; bite your tongue more than you loosen it and remember that the reception of a message is born in its delivery. The full moon on August 9th highlights your seventh house of trusted partnerships, when it comes to those you count as close — who have your back and who is only there to clap? Things lighten up on August 25 when Venus moves into your sign, a yearly rebirth that makes you feel fine as wine and ready for your next roll around. 14 This is a summons to take stock of what matters most to you and guard it accordingly. Tutsi_N – Mars in Libra hits your second house of wealth and worth this month, Virgo. This is a summons to take stock of what matters most to you and guard it accordingly. Lest you forget that your energy is currency to be invested rather than spent. When Mercury goes direct on the 11th, you'll have a clearer picture of who and what you can trust. When Venus enters Leo on August 25th, you could find yourself riding the dark wave of a heady, secret, soaked love affair. No telling where that tide might take you or how it might change you. 14 Take charge during this time, Libras. Tutsi_N – Ahoy, Libra! Mars in your sign is a battlecry for your personal betterment. This transit amplifies your ability to take charge, cut bait, tell the truth, make calls and roll the dice on risk. Represented as it is by an inanimate object, Libra energy can often stall as it awaits activation from an outside force. But during this transit, I beseech you, don't wait to be inspired/triggered by another person before making your moves. Sit in the stillness of your self and listen close for the call to action. Speak the truth, even and especially the words taste bitter on your tongue. 14 What is meant for you will not pass you, Scorpios. Tutsi_N – Mars in Libra is milling about in your twelfth house of thresholds, sabotage and the unconscious mind. This is not comfortable territory, Scorpio, but it is necessary cobweb clearing that helps you find what elevates and electrifies you and cast off aside the tired, the untrue and that which tests your beauty. Later in the month, the sun in Virgo throws a light on your tenth house of friendship, utopian ideals, and aligned allies. Your instinct is a sacred gift that draws and repels in equal measure. Trust that what is right will come closer and what is not meant for you will move on. 14 This month could be full of breakthroughs for you Tutsi_N – August could be a month of breakthroughs for you, Sagittarius. The full sturgeon moon in Aquarius opens a portal for downloads and may offer insights into how the quality of your conversations is co-creating your reality. The sun's step into Virgo highlights your long-term goals and social standing. Are you answering a true calling or building a dream you've long since stopped believing in? Inspiration moves toward you when you stop forcing and crack open to receiving. 14 Work on improving yourself, Capricorns. Tutsi_N – Welcome to August, Capricorn. Mars in Libra moves through your tenth house of legacy and purpose, asking you to balance the scales between duty and desire. Fun fact: the words discipline and disciple are both drawn from the same Latin root disciplina, meaning to learn, to be a student of. In this sense, I hope you will approach the work you do and the work you do to improve yourself not as a mission with a destination but a ceaseless education that builds on and back to itself. 14 Think of all you can become this month. Tutsi_N – Ahoy, Aquarius! The transit of Mars in Libra asks you to consider if you wear your belief system like a loose garment or a breathless corset. Listen to the chorus of contrasting opinion and loosen the stays. The full sturgeon moon in your sign on August 9th is a prime time to sacrifice who you were and what you believed to the pyre of possibility. The future begins with your first step after the fire. 14 You can use words and the language of your body to cross worlds this month. Tutsi_N – No shallow waters for you to wade through this month, Pisces. Mars in Libra activates your eighth house of sex, death, regeneration and resources. Coupled with the final throes and subsequent shadow period of Mercury retrograde in your sixth house of rituals, this could inspire healing through financial clarity, sex magic, and/or communing with your dearly departed. You can use words and the language of your body to cross worlds this month. Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.
