New planet found in our solar system
Exciting news!
On January 28, 2020, astronomers announced the discovery of a new planet in our solar system, which they have named "Farout" (short for Farthest Out). This new planet is a dwarf planet, and it's the most distant known object in our solar system.
Here are some key facts about Farout:
- Location: Farout is located about 120 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, which is about 11.4 billion miles (18.4 billion kilometers) away. For comparison, Pluto is about 39 AU from the Sun.
- Size: Farout is estimated to be about 310 miles (500 kilometers) in diameter, making it slightly larger than Pluto.
- Orbit: Farout takes about 700 Earth years to complete one orbit around the Sun, which is much longer than Pluto's 248 Earth years.
- Composition: Scientists believe that Farout is a dwarf planet, meaning it's a small, icy body that orbits the Sun. It's likely composed of rock and ice, similar to other dwarf planets in our solar system.
- Discovery: Farout was discovered by a team of astronomers using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii. They were searching for distant objects in the Kuiper Belt, a region of icy bodies beyond Neptune's orbit.
The discovery of Farout is significant because it expands our understanding of the solar system and its structure. It also raises questions about the formation and evolution of our solar system.
Here's a fun fact: Farout is so far away that it takes about 10 hours for light to travel from the planet to Earth. That means that if you were to send a message to Farout today, it would take 10 hours to arrive!
What do you think about this new discovery? Are you excited to learn more about Farout and the mysteries of our solar system?