The farthest known object in our solar system has been identified by astronomers.
It has been given the proper nickname “Farfarout” and is classified as a “planetoid”.
This means that it is too small to be considered a planet or a dwarf planet, but that it is still a mass orbiting our Sun.
There was a time when astronomers thought that Pluto was the most distant object orbiting the Sun.
Technological advances make scientists now have a much deeper look at space.
Scientifically known as AG37 2018, Farfarout is located about 12.4 billion kilometers from the Sun.
In comparison, the Earth is about 93 million kilometers away.
The dwarf planet Pluto is about 3.7 billion kilometers away.
However, Farfarout sometimes approaches the Sun and Earth in its 1,000-year orbital trajectory.
Its shape of its orbit means that there is a point every 1,000 years at which Farfarout is closer to the Sun than Neptune and Pluto.
So it may be the farthest object in our solar system for now, but it won’t always hold that title.
There is a dwarf planet called Goblin, which is currently closer to the Sun than Farfarout, but which has the potential to move much further away from its orbital path.
Researcher David Tholen of the University of Hawaii said: “Farfarout’s orbital dynamics can help us understand how Neptune formed and evolved, as Farfarout probably launched into the outer solar system by getting too close to Neptune in a distant past.
“Farfarout will likely interact with Neptune again as its orbits continue to intersect.”
Farfarout’s 1,000-year orbit time meant that researchers had to study it for years to determine its trajectory.
In fact, it was discovered in 2018, but its exact distance had not been determined until recently.
Astronomers think it is about 250 miles wide.
It will remain under observation and eventually have a more serious official name than Farfarout and with less specific data than the 2018 AG37.
