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Keyword: 2008kv42

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  • Distant object found orbiting Sun backwards [ 2008 KV42 ]

    09/09/2008 1:43:56 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 17 replies · 438+ views
    New Scientist ^ | Friday, September 5, 2008 | Jeff Hecht
    The new object, called 2008 KV42, lies in the Kuiper belt, a ring of icy bodies beyond Neptune. Its orbit is inclined 103.5° to the plane of the Earth's orbit, or ecliptic. That means that as it orbits the Sun, it actually travels in the opposite direction to the planets. Researchers led by Brett Gladman of the University of British Columbia first spotted the maverick object in May. Observations suggest it is about 50 kilometres across and travels on a path that takes it from the distance of Uranus to more than twice that of Neptune (or between 20 and...