A Huge Unnamed Dwarf Planet, Almost the Size of Pluto, Has Been Hiding in Our Solar System
Ria Misra
Today 2:28pm
A Huge Unnamed Dwarf Planet, Almost the Size of Pluto, Has Been Hiding in Our Solar System
Image: Artist’s concept of 2007 OR10 / NASAIn a universe full of planets, 2007 OR10 is something special. It’s big, just slightly smaller than the size of Pluto. And it’s close, within our very own solar system. So how did it still manage to take astronomers by surprise?
Researchers from Konkoly Observatory just revealed in the Astronomical Journal that they had uncovered new details about planet 2007 OR10 that show it to be the third largest dwarf planet ever seen in our solar system. New planets are uncovered all the time, thanks to Kepler. In fact, the mission just unearthed a stash of more than 1,200 new exoplanets, bringing its total haul to over 3,200. 2007 OR10 has a diameter of 955 miles, which makes it a relative monster. The only larger dwarf planets in our solar system are Pluto, which has a diameter of 1475 miles, and Eris, which has a diameter of 1445 miles. 2007 OR10 is the third biggest dwarf planet in our solar system—and the largest unnamed planet of any kind within our solar system.
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