Mystery object lurking past Neptune is baffling astronomers
Astronomers remain puzzled over a strange object that has been detected past Neptune, according to Science Alert.
The object has been dubbed Niku, and it has been observed exhibiting some unusual behavior; while planets in this solar system rotate around the sun along a similar plane, this one is moving upwards above it.
In fact, it appears to be orbiting the sun backwards and at a 110-degree angle.
Because this trans-Neptunian object, or TNO, spins in an abnormal direction, scientists believe it was likely thrown off course by an as-yet unknown force such as a collision.
As such, Matthew Holman, one of the authors of a recently published paper about the discovery, has been quoted by New Scientist as saying, "It suggests that there's more going on in the outer solar system than we're fully aware of."
Otherwise, the team has determined that Niku could be as small as 124 miles or less in diameter based on its faint appearance.
They also suspect it is part of a cluster of objects with a similar inclined orbit, but they have not been able to identify the origin of the system's central force.
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