The outer solar system is one of the still very mysterious regions of space. But with the appearance of highly sophisticated digital cameras and the birth of new generation telescopes, we are slowly learning about it.
Recently, a team of scientists made up of physicists from the Northern Arizona University and the University of Hawaii at Mānoa just discovered the most distant object in the solar system. Called FarFarOut, it is a large piece of rock about 400 km in diameter. A size that positions it at the lower end of the scale of dwarf planets.
A substantial distance
Note that the discovery of FarFarOut dates back to 2018, but it was only recently that experts were able to share verified data about it. According to calculations, the celestial body is thus located at 132 astronomical units of the Sun, more than 130 times the average distance between the Earth and its star. FarFarOut, also designated 2018 AG 37, has an orbital distance of 101 astronomical units.
Unlike that of the Earth which is circular, its orbit is however oval which, in addition, is unbalanced. Calculations have shown that the object’s orbit can reach 175 astronomical units while being able to drop to “only” 27 AU, within Neptune’s orbit.
Powered by Neptune?
According to the explanations of Chad Trujillo, an astronomer at Northern Arizona University, it could be that FarFarOut was thrown into the Outer Solar System by getting too close to Neptune in the distant past. Neither does the planetologist rule out a new interaction with the most distant known planet in the solar system. “FarFarOut will probably interact with Neptune again in the future since their orbits still intersect” Explain Science Alert.
An orbital period of about 800 years
It should be noted that the name of FarFarOut derives from that of a dwarf planet spotted earlier in 2018. Having an average orbital distance of 124 AU for an orbital period of 929 years, FarOut (2018 VG18) was, at the time of its discovery, the most distant celestial body in the Solar System ever observed.
A record which is now broken by FarFarOut (2018 AG37). Although astronomers are not yet completely sure of the orbital period of the latter, they estimate it to be about 800 years (that of the Earth being 365 days). Despite the lack of precision due to the remoteness of the object, this new discovery should still help scientists to better decipher the secrets of the outer solar system.
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