The Rare Dwarf Planet Preserving Secrets Of The Outer Solar System

In the vast expanse of the solar system, a recent discovery has shed new light on the mysterious realm that lies beyond Neptune. A team of astronomers, led by Ying-Tung Chen of the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica (ASIAA) in Taiwan, has identified a dwarf planet, officially designated 2023 KQ14, which has been aptly named Ammonite. This distant world, residing in the outer reaches of the solar system, has been found to possess a unique characteristic that sets it apart from other small bodies in the region.

Unlike most small bodies that are influenced by Neptune's gravitational pull, Ammonite belongs to a rare group of objects whose paths remain largely untouched for eons. Its orbit, which follows a wide, stable loop, has been simulated to remain steady over an astonishing 4. 5 billion years. This stability makes Ammonite an invaluable record keeper for understanding the formation and evolution of the outer solar system.

Ammonite joins an exclusive group of celestial bodies known as sednoids, characterized by their unusually large closest distances to the Sun. However, its path does not align with the other sednoids, thereby filling a long-noted gap in the catalog and adding much-needed diversity to the known patterns.

Ammonite, officially designated 2023 KQ14, is a distant world that keeps its cool far beyond Neptune.

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