Meet Ammonite A New World Just Found In The Solar System

Published: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 8:12 am

New Object Discovery Challenges Planet Nine Hypothesis

Astronomers have discovered a new celestial object, designated 2023 KQ14 and nicknamed "Ammonite," orbiting the sun far beyond Pluto. This discovery, announced in a recent paper published in *Nature Astronomy*, is significant because it challenges existing theories about the potential existence of a ninth planet in our solar system.

Ammonite is classified as a sednoid, a type of object characterized by a highly eccentric orbit. This means its path around the sun is significantly elongated. Only three other sednoids have been previously identified. Ammonite's orbit takes it as close as 66 astronomical units (AU) from the sun and as far as 252 AU. For context, one AU is the average distance between the Earth and the sun.

The discovery is particularly relevant to the ongoing debate surrounding "Planet Nine." The hypothesis suggests the presence of a large, undiscovered planet influencing the orbits of minor bodies in the outer solar system, specifically in the Kuiper Belt. The unusual clustering and alignment of the orbits of several known objects have fueled this theory.

However, Ammonite's orbit differs from those of the other known sednoids. This discrepancy casts doubt on the Planet Nine hypothesis, as the gravitational influence of a ninth planet would be expected to affect all objects in a similar manner. Simulations suggest that if a ninth planet does exist, it likely orbits even further from the sun than previously thought.

Ammonite was found as part of the FOSSIL survey project, which aims to study the formation of the outer solar system. The object's discovery was made possible by the Subaru Telescope and confirmed using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Analysis of archive images dating back 19 years allowed astronomers to calculate its orbit.

BNN's Perspective: The discovery of Ammonite highlights the dynamic and evolving nature of our understanding of the solar system. While the search for Planet Nine continues, this new finding underscores the importance of ongoing research and the potential for unexpected discoveries to reshape our current models. It also serves as a reminder that the universe is full of mysteries waiting to be unraveled.

Keywords: Ammonite, 2023 KQ14, sednoid, Planet Nine, solar system, orbit, astronomy, Kuiper Belt, Subaru Telescope, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, FOSSIL, outer solar system, Neptune, Pluto, Yukun Huang

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