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Posted on 07/16/2025 9:06:49 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
In a groundbreaking discovery published in The Planetary Science Journal, a team of astronomers led by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian has confirmed the existence of a rare object located far beyond Neptune. Known as 2020 VN40, this trans-Neptunian object is in a unique orbital resonance with the giant planet Neptune. For every ten orbits Neptune completes, 2020 VN40 completes one orbit around the Sun. This rare alignment provides key insights into how objects in the outer solar system behave and evolve over time. The research, which draws from extensive observations made by the Large Inclination Distant Objects (LiDO) survey, is set to change how scientists approach the study of the far reaches of our solar system.
The discovery of 2020 VN40 offers profound insights into the dynamics of the outer solar system. According to lead researcher Rosemary Pike, "This is a big step in understanding the outer solar system. It shows that even very distant regions influenced by Neptune can contain objects, and it gives us new clues about how the solar system evolved." The object's highly tilted orbit, which deviates significantly from the plane of the other planets, is what makes it so remarkable. At an average distance of approximately 140 times farther from the Sun than Earth, 2020 VN40's path around the solar system is unlike any other trans-Neptunian object previously observed.
For scientists, the resonance of 2020 VN40 with Neptune is especially significant. Unlike other distant objects, which follow simple orbital paths, 2020 VN40 exhibits a complex motion where its closest approach to the Sun aligns with Neptune's proximity. This unique configuration suggests that Neptune's gravitational influence might have played a critical role in shaping the trajectory of these objects, potentially "capturing" them temporarily during their journey through the solar system.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailygalaxy.com ...
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I've always kinda disliked Boz Scaggs.
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Just yesterday there was another article about an object between Uranus and Neptune in a 3:4 resonance with Uranus.
Yup, I linked it up there. Also, there were a couple today about a KBO that’s over 300 km across.
It takes Neptune 168 years to complete an orbit. That means it takes this object 1680 years to complete its orbit. To say that things in the outer Solar System move at a leisurely pace is quite the understatement.
The article says it is 140 time further from the sun than the earth. So this means the linear speed of earth is is within the ballpark of Neptune and this new objects speeds.
I must be getting old. I keep forgetting I have you to thank for pinging me to these articles!
Zipping right along compared to how long it takes a galaxy to make a complete rotation!
As big as the Sun is, it’s hard to believe that its gravity is strong enough to capture and hold celestial bodies that are so far away. It’s quite amazing.
The Earth moves around the Sun at 18 miles per second. Because the speed of an orbit is dependent on the Sun's gravity the further away from the Sun an object gets the slower it actually moves. Neptune moves at 3.4 miles per second. You can rest assure that this new object moves even slower than that
But even though the Sun undoubtedly has it's influence on this object, it's orbiting Neptune. Similar to the Epstein story, it's hard to wrap your brain around it.
Bkmk
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