Far beyond Pluto, icy wanderers known as Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) drift through the vast cosmic depths. Some of them orbit at incredible distances, more than 200 times farther from the Sun than Earth, making them tough to spot, but priceless to study.
These elusive objects may hold secrets to how the Solar System formed, and even hint at the presence of a mysterious Planet Nine lurking in the shadows.
Now, the Subaru Telescope has spotted a new one: a small, distant body that’s helping scientists piece together the puzzle of our solar neighborhood’s past and its still-unfolding future.