Latest news with #2023KQ14
NDTV
21-07-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Scientists Find Mysterious Object In Kuiper Belt, And It's Not A Planet
Scientists have found a small and icy object, designated 2023 KQ14 and nicknamed "Ammonite". It is far beyond Neptune and is currently orbiting the Sun. Ammonite, a name based on fossilised sea creatures, has been classified as a sednoid, not a planet or dwarf planet. Scientists have previously explained that a sednoid is a trans-Neptunian object (TNO) with a large semi-major axis, a distant perihelion and a highly eccentric orbit. This TNO is the fourth sednoid ever found. The object was discovered using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii as part of the FOSSIL (Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy) survey project. It was first spotted in March, May and August 2023 and confirmed in July 2024. As per a paper published in Nature Astronomy on July 14, the object is estimated to be 300-700 km in diameter and likely composed of ice, rock and organic compounds. When it comes to orbital characteristics, the object has a perihelion of 66 astronomical units (AU). One AU is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. Meanwhile, aphelion is 252 AU. The object has followed a stable orbit for at least 4.5 billion years. "The orbit of Ammonite does not align with those of the other Sedna-like objects and fills the previously unexplained 'q-gap' in the observed distribution of distant Solar System objects," the authors explained in their paper. "The fact that 2023 KQ14's current orbit does not align with those of the other three sednoids lowers the likelihood of the Planet Nine hypothesis," Dr Yukun Huang of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), who is also a co-author of the paper, said in a press release. "It is possible that a planet once existed in the Solar System but was later ejected, causing the unusual orbits we see today." According to study co-author Dr Fumi Yoshida, Neptune is the only known massive object near the outer Solar System that could have shaped the orbits of the TNOs and Sednoids. However, Ammonite is quite far away. "2023 KQ14 was found in a region far away where Neptune's gravity has little influence. The presence of objects with elongated orbits and large perihelion distances in this area implies that something extraordinary occurred during the ancient era when 2023 KQ14 formed," Yoshida said. The object is considered a "fossil" from the early solar system as it supposedly preserves conditions from 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists aim to use Ammonite's discovery to fill a longstanding gap in the basic understanding of distant orbits.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Fossil' object discovered on outskirts of solar system
Astronomers have discovered a "fossil" body residing on the outskirts of the solar system, according to new research. The object – which goes by the formal designation 2023 KQ14 but is nicknamed 'Ammonite," in an apparent nod to the widely found, ancient fossilized mollusk – was detected by the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, according to a paper published Tuesday in Nature Astronomy. Ammonite was discovered at its perihelion, which is the point in a celestial body's orbit at which it is closest to the sun, according to the paper. It lies beyond Pluto at a distance of 71 AU, or astronomical units – putting it 71 times the average distance between the sun and Earth, according to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), whose astronomers made the discovery. MORE: 100 undiscovered galaxies could be orbiting the Milky Way, according to new research The object was found in a region so far on the solar system's outskirts that gravity from Neptune, the planet farthest away from the sun in our solar system, has little influence on it, Fumi Yoshida, a planetary scientist at the NAOJ and co-author of the paper, said in a statement. Such objects are technically known as sednoids. Ammonite is only the fourth-ever sednoid to be discovered, the researchers said. "The presence of objects with elongated orbits and large perihelion distances in this area implies that something extraordinary occurred during the ancient era when 2023 KQ14 formed," Yoshida said. "Understanding the orbital evolution and physical properties of these unique, distant objects is crucial for comprehending the full history of the solar system." MORE: Webb telescope discovers stars forming in 'toe beans' of Cat's Paw Nebula Astronomers first noticed the object several times in 2023 and confirmed its existence with follow-up observations in 2024 by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii, according to NAOJ. Astronomers were also able to track the object's orbit over 19 years by studying old data from other observatories. Ammonite has maintained a stable orbit for at least 4.5 billion years but its current orbit differs from those of the other known sednoids, according to the paper. The discovery indicates that the outer solar system is more diverse and complex than previously thought, according to NAOJ. In addition, the existence of Ammonite again calls into question the existence of a possible Planet Nine, a long-hypothesized ninth planet in the solar system that some say could explain the orbits of other distant objects through its gravitational influence, should it exist. "The fact that 2023 KQ14's current orbit does not align with those of the other three sednoids lowers the likelihood of the Planet Nine hypothesis," said Yukun Huang, an astronomer at the NAOJ and co-author of the paper. "It is possible that a planet once existed in the solar system but was later ejected, causing the unusual orbits we see today." MORE: Could our solar system have 9 planets after all? Astronomers may have confirmed possible existence. Ammonite was found as part of the FOSSIL survey project, which stands for the Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy, according to NAOJ. A more classical name will be assigned to the object by the International Astronomical Union at a later date, the researchers said. The Subaru Telescope is among the few telescopes on Earth capable of making such a discovery, according to the researchers. "I would be happy if the FOSSIL team could make many more discoveries like this one and help draw a complete picture of the history of the Solar System," Yoshida said. Solve the daily Crossword
18-07-2025
- Science
'Fossil' object dubbed 'Ammonite' discovered on the outskirts of the solar system
Astronomers have discovered a "fossil" body residing on the outskirts of the solar system, according to new research. The object – which goes by the formal designation 2023 KQ14 but is nicknamed 'Ammonite," in an apparent nod to the widely found, ancient fossilized mollusk – was detected by the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, according to a paper published Tuesday in Nature Astronomy. Ammonite was discovered at its perihelion, which is the point in a celestial body's orbit at which it is closest to the sun, according to the paper. It lies beyond Pluto at a distance of 71 AU, or astronomical units – putting it 71 times the average distance between the sun and Earth, according to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), whose astronomers made the discovery. The object was found in a region so far on the solar system's outskirts that gravity from Neptune, the planet farthest away from the sun in our solar system, has little influence on it, Fumi Yoshida, a planetary scientist at the NAOJ and co-author of the paper, said in a statement. Such objects are technically known as sednoids. Ammonite is only the fourth-ever sednoid to be discovered, the researchers said. "The presence of objects with elongated orbits and large perihelion distances in this area implies that something extraordinary occurred during the ancient era when 2023 KQ14 formed," Yoshida said. "Understanding the orbital evolution and physical properties of these unique, distant objects is crucial for comprehending the full history of the solar system." Astronomers first noticed the object several times in 2023 and confirmed its existence with follow-up observations in 2024 by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii, according to NAOJ. Astronomers were also able to track the object's orbit over 19 years by studying old data from other observatories. Ammonite has maintained a stable orbit for at least 4.5 billion years but its current orbit differs from those of the other known sednoids, according to the paper. The discovery indicates that the outer solar system is more diverse and complex than previously thought, according to NAOJ. In addition, the existence of Ammonite again calls into question the existence of a possible Planet Nine, a long-hypothesized ninth planet in the solar system that some say could explain the orbits of other distant objects through its gravitational influence, should it exist. "The fact that 2023 KQ14's current orbit does not align with those of the other three sednoids lowers the likelihood of the Planet Nine hypothesis," said Yukun Huang, an astronomer at the NAOJ and co-author of the paper. "It is possible that a planet once existed in the solar system but was later ejected, causing the unusual orbits we see today." Ammonite was found as part of the FOSSIL survey project, which stands for the Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy, according to NAOJ. A more classical name will be assigned to the object by the International Astronomical Union at a later date, the researchers said. The Subaru Telescope is among the few telescopes on Earth capable of making such a discovery, according to the researchers. "I would be happy if the FOSSIL team could make many more discoveries like this one and help draw a complete picture of the history of the Solar System," Yoshida said.
