New Atlas

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Far out new dwarf planet is the most distant known object in the solar system

Michael Irving December 17, 2018

Astronomers are welcoming the newest and most distant object in the solar system – a dwarf planet orbiting more than 100 times further from the Sun than Earth. And because its discoverers aren’t the most creative bunch, it’s been dubbed “Farout.”

An illustration of the new dwarf planet 2018 VG18, nicknamed "Farout"

Space

"Goblin" dwarf planet found lurking at the extreme fringes of the solar system

Michael Irving October 3, 2018

There could be thousands of dwarf planets – Pluto-sized or smaller – lurking at the very edges of the Sun’s influence. Now, astronomers have spotted a new distant dwarf with an incredibly wide orbit, lending further evidence to the idea that a much bigger “Planet X” is out there somewhere.

An artist's impression of Planet X, a hypothetical Super-Earth that lurks at the fringes of the ...

Space Audio available

Should Pluto be allowed back in the planet club?

Michael Irving September 9, 2018

Pluto was demoted from planet status to dwarf planet in 2006. But a new study suggests it should be resurrected as a planet, since the definition the object failed to meet was not based on precedents set in scientific literature.

A new study argues that Pluto should still be classified as a planet

Space

Gravitational "bumper cars" could put Planet Nine hypothesis on ice

Michael Irving June 5, 2018

Evidence is growing for a ninth planet lurking on the edges of the Solar System. Objects out there move in ways that suggest an unseen world is pulling on them, but new calculations suggest that there is no Planet Nine – these distant objects might just be jostling each other like bumper cars.

An artist's rendition of Sedna, a dwarf planet that lurks on the edge of the Solar ...

Space

NASA finds evidence of ancient global ocean on Ceres

Michael Irving October 30, 2017

Two new studies have used data gathered by NASA’s Dawn mission to determine that the dwarf planet Ceres’ salty, icy crust could be the remains of an ancient global ocean – and there may still be some liquid water locked up deep beneath the surface.

The color-coded map (right) shows the gravity measurements of the dwarf planet Ceres, which reveals data ...

Space

Rocky ring spotted around a dwarf planet in our Solar System

Michael Irving October 11, 2017

Astronomers have observed an occultation of a distant star to get a better look at the little-known dwarf planet Haumea, which orbits the Sun beyond Neptune. Scientists were able to pin down the planet’s size, shape and density, and make a surprising new discovery: Haumea has a rocky ring around it.

An artist's impression of the trans-Neptunian dwarf planet Haumea, with the ring that was just discovered ...

Space

One dwarf planet, hold the ice

Tyler MacDonald September 2, 2016

New data from NASA's Dawn spacecraft suggests that Ceres' surface is too strong to be dominated by ice.

Using models and visualizations of Ceres' surface, researchers are suggesting that ice is not a major ...

Space

Scientists peers beneath Ceres' surface with help from Dawn spacecraft

Anthony Wood August 4, 2016

NASA scientists have taken their first look at the interior of the dwarf planet Ceres, by tracking tiny alterations in the motion of the Dawn spacecraft as it continues to orbit the enigmatic planetoid.

Artist's concept of the interior of the dwarf planet Ceres, based on gravitational field data collected ...

Space

New dwarf planet discovered beyond Neptune

Michael Irving July 12, 2016

A new dwarf planet has been identified on the fringes of our solar system. Designated 2015 RR245, the object’s size isn’t known just yet, but its discoverers estimate it to have a diameter of 700 km (435 miles) and one of the largest orbits of a dwarf planet, circling the Sun once every 700 years.

The orange line represents the elliptical, 700-year-long orbit of the newly discovered dwarf planet, dubbed 2015 ...

Space

Could water ice deposits be lurking in Ceres' polar craters?

Anthony Wood July 11, 2016

Using data collected by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, an international team of astronomers has created a Map of the dwarf planet Ceres' northern hemisphere detailing regions that exist in permanent shadow.

Scientists used sophisticated computer simulations to determine the likely locations for water ice deposits on Ceres