Questions tagged [trans-neptunian-object]
Questions about objects orbiting the Sun with an average distance greater than that of Neptune.
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At what distance does the galactic tide significantly affect the orbit of a heliocentric object?
The title essentially explains the question. I was wondering if the galactic tide could play a role in raising perihelia of extreme trans-Neptunian objects (i.e. Sedna) versus the effect of a ...
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What is the likelyhood that planet X is a glass (not a typo for gas) planet? What would it mean if it were for what we know of astronomy?
Scientists have been looking for an explanation for the unusual orbits of extreme trans-neptunian objects. One of the possible explanations some astrophysicists have come up with was the possibility ...
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Are planets far from their parent star more likely or less likely to have an atmosphere?
Are non-gaseous planets (e.g. super-Earths) that are either rogue or very far from their parent star(s) less likely or more likely to have a significant atmosphere?
On one hand planets closer to their ...
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When might Rowan-Robinson's planet be discovered or disproved?
A month ago Michael Rowan-Robinson discovered three dots on old images of the sky which may or may not be an undiscovered planet (that's not identical to Brown's and Batigyn's hypothetical planet). I ...
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Could Planet X have a perihelion much closer than 300 AU and still be responsible for the gravitational interaction with 19 TNOs?
In August, Michael Brown and Konstantin Batigyn proposed new data concerning the hypothetical Planet X to explain the orbits of the 19 TNOs. They suggest a perihelion of 300 AU, but might Planet X be ...
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Would a telescope substantially away from the ecliptic plane improve TNO detection?
There have been lots of new TNOs found in the last decade.
Would a telescope far from the ecliptic plane be useful to image them, and spot new ones?
What about planet nine, assuming it exists: would ...
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How has the number of known TNOs evolved over time?
As of 2020, we know of more than 2,000 trans-neptunian objects (TNOs). How has this number evolved over time?
It's pretty easy to find a chart that shows the number of exoplanets discovered per year, ...
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Are satellites of trans-Neptunian objects classified as trans-Neptunian objects?
I can't seem to get a consistent answer regarding the question of whether or not satellites (moons) of trans-Neptunian objects are considered to be trans-Neptunian objects, given that they do not ...
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If the hypothetical planet had a perihelion around 60 AU, would some consider it being responsible for the Kuiper cliff?
If Planet X had a perihelion around 60 AU and an aphelion in the vicinity of Sedna's aphelion (940 AU), would it be considered to be responsible for both the high eccentricities of TNO's orbits and ...
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Couldn't the orbits of ETNOs have been altered by a flying-by rogue planet as well?
Regarding the Extreme trans-Neptunian objects or ETNOs, whose orbits some believe are elongated by a far away planet, could their orbits have been elongated by a rogue planet as well? Is it possible ...
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Has the rotation of Eris and Dysnomia been observed?
Since both Eris and Dysnomia have been captured on a single image, is it possible to shoot multiple images of them to see how they rotate around each other? Has this been attempted? We don't know much ...
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When will 2002 MS4 be named?
The trans-Neptunian planetoid 2002 MS4 is currently the largest known unnamed Sun-orbiting object. Is there any standard schedule on when this and similar objects might be named? Usually the ...
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Which celestial body is able to come closest to Pluto?
Other than Pluto's moons (including Charon), which known body comes closest to Pluto, and how close? Neptune doesn't come closer than 16 au. What about Orcus, whose orbit is similar to Pluto's, or ...
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Based on discoveries of new TNOs since 2016, is planet Nine still necessary to explain the TNO's orbits?
It is almost five years since the announcement of the likelyhood of another planet that is responsible for clustering eTNO's orbits, very close perihelia of detached dwarf planets to the Sun, and high ...
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Why is the Kuiper belt called like this?
Since most orbits of KBOs are highly inclined, isn't it rather a "Kuiper cloud"? Most main belt objects are also more inclined than the eight recognized planets, but not as much as KBOs (and ...
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