Scientists Discover More Bodies In The Outer Solar System

Reference: Visit website

Headlines:

* *NASA's Perseverance Rover Discovers Evidence of Seasonal Water on Mars

*: NASA's Perseverance rover has discovered evidence of seasonal water on Mars, suggesting that the planet may have been habitable in the past. The rover's findings are a significant step forward in understanding the Martian environment and searching for signs of ___. (Source: NASA) * *European Astronomers Discover a New Exoplanet in the Solar System's Outer Reaches

*: A team of European astronomers has discovered a new exoplanet in the outer reaches of our solar system, a finding that could provide insights into the formation and evolution of our cosmic neighborhood. The exoplanet... dubbed "Farout," is the most distant known object in our solar system. (Source: BBC) * *Australian Researchers Develop a Breakthrough in 3D Printed Graphene

*: Australian researchers have developed a breakthrough in 3D printed graphene, a revolutionary material that has the potential to transform industries such as energy, medicine, and construction. The breakthrough could lead to the creation of stronger, lighter, and more efficient materials. (Source: ABC News) * *Scientists Create a New Lightweight and Super-Strong Material Inspired by Nature

*: Scientists have created a new lightweight and super-strong material inspired by the structure of spider silk and abalone shells. The material has the potential to be used in a variety of applications... including medical implants and aerospace engineering. (Source: Science Daily) * *Researchers Discover a New Species of Ancient Human in the Philippines

*: Researchers have discovered a new species of ancient human in the Philippines, "providing insights into human evolution and migration." The species, dubbed "Homo luzonensis," is characterized by its small size and unusual dental features. (Source: The New York Times) * *Chinese Space Agency Launches a New Satellite to Study the Sun

*: The Chinese space agency has launched a new satellite to study the Sun, "providing scientists with new insights into solar physics and space weather." The satellite, dubbed "Aditya-L1," will study the Sun's corona and solar wind. (Source: Space. com)

#news

The outer Solar System has been a treasure trove of discoveries in recent decades. Using ground-based telescopes, astronomers have identified eight large bodies since 2002 – Quouar, Sedna, Orcus, Haumea, Salacia, Eris, Makemake, and Gonggang.

On December 21st, 2018, the New Horizons mission made history when it became the first spacecraft to rendezvous with a Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) named Arrokoth – the Powhatan/Algonquin word for "sky."

Since 2006, the Subaru Telescope at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii has been observing the outer Solar System to search for other KBOs the New Horizons mission could study someday.

In that time, these observations have led to the discovery of 263 KBOs within the traditionally accepted boundaries of the Kuiper Belt.

However, in a recent study, an international team of astronomers identified 11 new KBOs beyond the edge of what was thought to be the outer boundary of the Kuiper Belt.

This discovery has profound implications for our understanding of the structure and evolution of the Solar System.

The research team was led by Wesley C. Fraser, a Plaskett Fellow and a Professor of Astronomy at the University of Victoria (UVic) and the Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre.

He was joined by colleagues from UVic, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), NOIRLab, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL), the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and many other institutes and universities.