List of Solar System objects most distant from the Sun

Last updated

Positions of known outer Solar System objects

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Sun

Jupiter trojans (6,178)

Scattered disc (>300)
Giant planets: J * S * U * N

Centaurs (44,000)

Kuiper belt (>1,000)
(scale in AU; epoch as of January 2015; # of objects in parentheses) Kuiper belt plot objects of outer solar system.png
Positions of known outer Solar System objects
   Sun
   Jupiter trojans  (6,178)
   Scattered disc  (>300)   Giant planets: J  · S  · U  · N
   Centaurs  (44,000)
   Kuiper belt  (>1,000)
(scale in AU; epoch as of January 2015; # of objects in parentheses)

These Solar System minor planets are the furthest from the Sun as of December 2021. The objects have been categorized by their approximate current distance from the Sun, and not by the calculated aphelion of their orbit. The list changes over time because the objects are moving in their orbits. Some objects are inbound and some are outbound. It would be difficult to detect long-distance comets if it were not for their comas, which become visible when heated by the Sun. Distances are measured in astronomical units (AU, Sun–Earth distances). The distances are not the minimum (perihelion) or the maximum (aphelion) that may be achieved by these objects in the future.

Contents

This list does not include near-parabolic comets of which many are known to be currently more than 100  AU (15  billion   km ) from the Sun, but are currently too far away to be observed by telescope. Trans-Neptunian objects are typically announced publicly months or years after their discovery, so as to make sure the orbit is correct before announcing it. Due to their greater distance from the Sun and slow movement across the sky, trans-Neptunian objects with observation arcs less than several years often have poorly constrained orbits. Particularly distant objects take several years of observations to establish a crude orbit solution before being announced. For instance, the most distant known trans-Neptunian object 2018 AG37 was discovered by Scott Sheppard in January 2018 but was announced three years later in February 2021. [1]

Noted objects

One particularly distant body is 90377 Sedna, which was discovered in November 2003. It has an extremely eccentric orbit that takes it to an aphelion of 937 AU. [2] It takes over 10,000 years to orbit, and during the next 50 years it will slowly move closer to the Sun as it comes to perihelion at a distance of 76 AU from the Sun. [3] Sedna is the largest known sednoid, a class of objects that play an important role in the Planet Nine hypothesis.

Pluto (30–49 AU, about 34 AU in 2015) was the first Kuiper belt object to be discovered (1930) and is the largest known dwarf planet.

Known distant objects

This is a list of known objects at heliocentric distances of more than 65 AU. In theory, the Oort cloud could extend over 120,000  AU (2  ly ) from the Sun.

Most distant observable objects in the Solar System as of December 2021 [4]
Object nameDistance from the Sun (AU) Radial velocity
(AU/yr) [a]
Perihelion Aphelion Semimajor
axis
Apparent
magnitude
Absolute
magnitude
(H)
Important dates
December 2021December 2015DiscoveredAnnounced
Great Comet of 1680
(for comparison)
258.0 [5] 255.4 [5] +0.47 [5] 0.006889444UnknownUnknown1680-11-14
Voyager 1
(for comparison)
152.9 [5] 133.3 [5] +3.57 [5] 8.90
Hyperbolic
−3.2 [6] ~50~28
2018 AG37 132.9±1.8131.9±10.7±0.2(?)27.1145.086.025.44.22018-01-152021-02-10
Voyager 2
(for comparison)
129.4 [5] 109.7 [5] +3.17 [5] 21.2
Hyperbolic
−4.0 [6] ~48~28
Pioneer 10
(for comparison)
128.9 [5] 114.8 [5] +2.51 [5] 4.94
Hyperbolic
~49~29
2018 VG18 123.6123.2+0.0637.8123.981.324.63.72018-11-102018-12-17
2020 BE102 110.9111.732.9116.974.925.65.12020-01-242022-05-31
Pioneer 11
(for comparison)
107.7 [5] 92.5 [5] +2.35 [5] 9.45
Hyperbolic
~48~29
2020 FY30 98.999.9–0.1735.6107.771.624.84.72020-03-242021-02-14
2020 FA31 97.396.5+0.1439.5102.471.025.45.42020-03-242021-02-14
Eris
136199
95.996.3−0.0738.397.567.918.8−1.212003-10-212005-07-29
2020 FQ40 92.492.7–0.0538.293.165.625.76.12020-03-242022-05-31
2015 TH367 [b] 90.388.2+0.4228.9136.482.626.36.62015-10-132018-03-13
2021 DR15 89.688.6+0.17(?)37.896.567.223.13.62021-02-172021-12-17
2014 UZ224 89.592.0−0.4538.3177.0107.623.23.42014-10-212016-08-28
Gonggong
225088
88.787.4+0.2333.7101.267.521.51.62007-07-172009-01-07
2015 FG415 87.287.9−0.1436.292.164.125.56.02015-03-172019-03-27
2014 FC69 85.584.1+0.2640.4104.472.424.24.62014-03-252015-02-11
2006 QH181 84.683.3+0.2237.596.767.123.74.32006-08-212006-11-05
Sedna
90377
84.285.8−0.2976.3892.6484.421.01.32003-11-142004-03-15
2015 VO166 84.382.5+0.3238.3113.275.825.55.92015-11-062018-10-02
2012 VP113 84.283.3+0.1680.4442.6261.523.54.02012-11-052014-03-26
2013 FS28 83.585.9−0.6234.2358.2196.224.34.92013-03-162016-08-29
2017 SN132 82.880.4+0.4442.0110.076.025.25.82017-09-162019-02-10
2019 EU5 81.785.546.52310117825.66.42019-03-052021-12-17
2015 UH87 [b] 81.382.3−0.1934.390.062.225.26.02015-10-162018-03-12
2013 FY27
532037
79.780.3−0.1035.282.158.722.23.22013-03-172014-03-31
2021 DP15 79.776.229.1204.1116.625.46.22021-02-162021-12-17
2015 TJ367 [b] 79.477.1+0.4233.6128.180.925.86.72015-10-132018-03-13
2017 FO161 78.179.1−0.1834.185.559.823.34.32017-03-232018-04-02
Leleākūhonua
541132
77.679.8−0.4065.22,1061,08524.65.52015-10-132018-10-01
2018 AD39 77.274.1–0.5838.4287.9163.225.06.22018-01-152021-02-13
2020 FB31 75.876.8–0.1934.483.359.124.55.62020-03-242021-02-14
2018 AK39 75.375.4–0.0127.375.451.425.36.52018-01-182021-02-18
2021 LL37 73.974.2–0.0536.174.655.422.74.02021-06-022022-05-31
2010 GB174 73.670.7+0.5448.7630.7339.725.36.52010-04-122013-04-30
2015 VJ168 73.472.4+0.1937.681.559.524.85.82015-11-062018-10-03
2015 DU249 73.172.7+0.0634.773.754.223.95.22015-02-172018-07-23
2014 FJ72 72.670.1+0.4638.4148.293.324.45.62014-03-242016-08-31
2016 TS97 [b] 71.271.5−0.0436.271.754.024.96.12016-10-062018-04-02
2015 GN55 71.072.1−0.1932.578.455.524.65.82015-04-132018-09-02
2015 VL168 69.772.1–0.4437.7136.086.824.76.12015-11-072018-10-03
2020 BA95 69.668.4+0.2035.976.556.224.35.82020-01-252021-12-17
2015 RZ277 69.367.5+0.3234.790.562.625.66.82015-09-082018-10-01
2021 DJ17 69.069.240.469.454.923.26.72021-02-172022-05-31
2012 FH84 68.868.4+0.0741.970.156.025.87.22012-03-252016-06-07
2019 AC77 68.769.9–0.2135.079.057.025.06.62019-01-112021-02-14
2015 GR50 68.668.2+0.0738.269.754.025.26.62015-04-132016-08-31
2013 FQ28 68.467.3+0.1945.680.062.724.56.02013-03-172016-06-07
2011 GM89 68.368.5–0.2436.568.852.725.77.12011-04-042016-08-31
2021 DQ15 68.371.427.8130.979.324.76.32021-02-162021-12-17
2021 DG17 67.666.7+0.1547.575.861.723.25.02021-02-172022-05-31
2015 GP50 67.568.1–0.1040.470.055.225.06.52015-04-142016-06-07
2016 CD289 67.266.2+0.1837.574.055.825.77.32016-02-052018-03-13
2018 VJ137 67.269.7–0.4237.8139.388.525.26.92018-01-152021-02-13
2020 KV11 67.164.1+0.5035.0155.095.625.67.32020-05-292022-11-02
2014 UD228 66.765.7+0.1836.773.355.024.56.12014-10-222017-12-07
2016 GB277 66.268.3–0.3940.0119.479.725.67.32016-04-102020-06-04
2016 GZ276 66.169.2–0.5638.6253.6146.125.37.02016-04-102020-06-03
2014 FL72 66.163.3+0.4738.0167.1102.525.16.82014-03-262016-08-31
2016 TQ120 [b] 65.863.7+0.3742.3114.378.325.06.72016-10-062020-06-04
2015 RQ281 65.762.7+0.5636.9210.6123.825.16.82015-09-052019-03-27
2020 BS60 [b] 65.768.0–0.4231.0104.167.624.66.52020-01-262021-02-23
2013 UJ15 65.464.8+0.1137.267.452.325.47.02013-10-282016-08-31
2019 EV5 65.363.5+0.3032.079.855.925.87.62020-03-052021-12-17
2014 FD70 65.263.8+0.2635.978.657.325.16.92014-03-252018-04-02
2018 AZ18 65.165.9–0.1539.170.554.826.07.72018-01-152019-03-27
2015 KV167 65.065.2–0.0338.065.351.625.67.22015-05-182018-03-13
2018 VO35 65.067.8–0.5135.2152.293.724.96.82018-11-102019-02-10
2020 KX11 [b] 65.065.0–0.0164.667.165.926.48.22020-05-292020-09-25
This table includes all observable objects currently located at least 65 AU from the Sun. [4]
  1. AU/yr indicates whether the object is moving inwards or outwards in its orbit, and the rate at which it does so.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Distance and orbital elements are crudely estimated based on a short observation arc.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sedna (dwarf planet)</span> Dwarf planet

Sedna is a dwarf planet in the outermost reaches of the Solar System, orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Neptune. Discovered in 2003, the planetoid's surface is one of the reddest known among Solar System bodies. Spectroscopy has revealed Sedna's surface to be mostly a mixture of the solid ices of water, methane, and nitrogen, along with widespread deposits of reddish-colored tholins, a chemical makeup similar to those of some other trans-Neptunian objects. Within the range of uncertainties, it is tied with the dwarf planet Ceres in the asteroid belt as the largest dwarf planet not known to have a moon. Its diameter is roughly 1,000 km. Owing to its lack of known moons, the Keplerian laws of planetary motion cannot be employed for determining its mass, and the precise figure remains as yet unknown.

<span class="nowrap">(148209) 2000 CR<sub>105</sub></span>

(148209) 2000 CR105 is a trans-Neptunian object and the tenth-most-distant known object in the Solar System as of 2015. Considered a detached object, it orbits the Sun in a highly eccentric orbit every 3,305 years at an average distance of 222 astronomical units (AU).

474640 Alicanto (provisional designation 2004 VN112) is a detached extreme trans-Neptunian object. It was discovered on 6 November 2004, by American astronomer Andrew C. Becker at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. It never gets closer than 47 AU from the Sun (near the outer edge of the main Kuiper belt) and averages more than 300 AU from the Sun. Its large eccentricity strongly suggests that it was gravitationally scattered onto its current orbit. Because it is, like all detached objects, outside the current gravitational influence of Neptune, how it came to have this orbit cannot yet be explained. It was named after Alicanto, a nocturnal bird in Chilean mythology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detached object</span> Dynamical class of minor planets

Detached objects are a dynamical class of minor planets in the outer reaches of the Solar System and belong to the broader family of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). These objects have orbits whose points of closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) are sufficiently distant from the gravitational influence of Neptune that they are only moderately affected by Neptune and the other known planets: This makes them appear to be "detached" from the rest of the Solar System, except for their attraction to the Sun.

<span class="nowrap">(308933) 2006 SQ<sub>372</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object and highly eccentric centaur

(308933) 2006 SQ372 is a trans-Neptunian object and highly eccentric centaur on a cometary-like orbit in the outer region of the Solar System, approximately 123 kilometers (76 miles) in diameter. It was discovered through the Sloan Digital Sky Survey by astronomers Andrew Becker, Andrew Puckett and Jeremy Kubica on images first taken on 27 September 2006 (with precovery images dated to 13 September 2005).

<span class="nowrap">(612584) 2003 QX<sub>113</sub></span>

(612584) 2003 QX113 is a large trans-Neptunian object from the scattered disc located in the outermost region of the Solar System. It is one of the most distant objects from the Sun at 60.5 AU. It was discovered by astronomers with the Canada–France Ecliptic Plane Survey at Mauna Kea Observatories, Hawaii, when it was near aphelion on 31 August 2003. It was provisionally designated 2003 QX113.

<span class="nowrap">(523622) 2007 TG<sub>422</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object

(523622) 2007 TG422 (provisional designation 2007 TG422) is a trans-Neptunian object on a highly eccentric orbit in the scattered disc region at the edge of Solar System. Approximately 260 kilometers (160 miles) in diameter, it was discovered on 3 October 2007 by astronomers Andrew Becker, Andrew Puckett and Jeremy Kubica during the Sloan Digital Sky Survey at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico, United States. According to American astronomer Michael Brown, the bluish object is "possibly" a dwarf planet. It belongs to a group of objects studied in 2014, which led to the proposition of the hypothetical Planet Nine.

<span class="nowrap">(668643) 2012 DR<sub>30</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object and centaur

(668643) 2012 DR30 is a trans-Neptunian object and centaur from the scattered disk and/or inner Oort cloud, located in the outermost region of the Solar System. The object with a highly eccentric orbit of 0.99 was first observed by astronomers with the Spacewatch program at Steward Observatory on 31 March 2009. It measures approximately 188 kilometers (120 miles) in diameter.

<span class="nowrap">(709487) 2013 BL<sub>76</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object

(709487) 2013 BL76 is a trans-Neptunian object and centaur from the scattered disk and Inner Oort cloud approximately 30 kilometers in diameter.

2005 VX3 is trans-Neptunian object and retrograde damocloid on a highly eccentric, cometary-like orbit. It was first observed on 1 November 2005, by astronomers with the Mount Lemmon Survey at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona, United States. The unusual object measures approximately 7 kilometers (4 miles) in diameter. It has the 3rd largest known heliocentric semi-major axis and aphelion. Additionally its perihelion lies within the orbit of Jupiter, which means it also has the largest orbital eccentricity of any known minor planet.

<span class="nowrap">2012 VP<sub>113</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object

2012 VP113, also known by its nickname "Biden", is a trans-Neptunian object of the sednoid population, located in the outermost reaches of the Solar System. It was first observed on 5 November 2012 by American astronomers Scott Sheppard and Chad Trujillo at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. The discovery was announced on 26 March 2014. The object probably measures somewhere between 300 and 1000 km in diameter, possibly large enough to be a dwarf planet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extreme trans-Neptunian object</span> Solar system objects beyond the other known trans-Neptunian objects

An extreme trans-Neptunian object (ETNO) is a trans-Neptunian object orbiting the Sun well beyond Neptune (30 AU) in the outermost region of the Solar System. An ETNO has a large semi-major axis of at least 150–250 AU. The orbits of ETNOs are much less affected by the known giant planets than all other known trans-Neptunian objects. They may, however, be influenced by gravitational interactions with a hypothetical Planet Nine, shepherding these objects into similar types of orbits. The known ETNOs exhibit a highly statistically significant asymmetry between the distributions of object pairs with small ascending and descending nodal distances that might be indicative of a response to external perturbations.

2013 RF98 is a trans-Neptunian object. It was discovered on September 12, 2013, at Cerro Tololo-DECam.

<span class="nowrap">2013 SY<sub>99</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object

2013 SY99, also known by its OSSOS survey designation uo3L91, is a trans-Neptunian object discovered on September 29, 2013 by the Outer Solar System Origins Survey using the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope at Mauna Kea Observatory. This object orbits the Sun between 50 and 1,300 AU (7.5 and 190 billion km), and has a barycentric orbital period of nearly 20,000 years. It has the fourth largest semi-major axis for an orbit with perihelion beyond 38 AU. 2013 SY99 has one of highest perihelia of any known extreme trans-Neptunian object, behind sednoids including Sedna (76 AU), 2012 VP113 (80 AU), and Leleākūhonua (65 AU).

<span class="nowrap">2014 FE<sub>72</sub></span> Extreme trans-Neptunian object from the inner Oort cloud

2014 FE72 is a trans-Neptunian object first observed on 26 March 2014, at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in La Serena, Chile. It is a possible dwarf planet, a member of the scattered disc, whose orbit extends into the inner Oort cloud. Discovered by Scott Sheppard and Chad Trujillo, the object's existence was revealed on 29 August 2016. Both the orbital period and aphelion distance of this object are well constrained. 2014 FE72 had the largest barycentric aphelion until 2018. However, the heliocentric aphelion of 2014 FE72 is second among trans-Neptunian objects (after the damocloid 2017 MB7). As of 2023, it is about 66 AU (9.9 billion km) from the Sun.

2017 MB7 is a trans-Neptunian object and damocloid on a cometary-like orbit from the outer Solar System, approximately 6 kilometers (4 miles) in diameter. It was first observed on 22 June 2017 by the Pan-STARRS survey at Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii, United States. This unusual object has the largest heliocentric aphelion, semi-major axis, orbital eccentricity and orbital period of any known periodic minor planet, even larger than that of 2014 FE72; it is calculated to reach several thousand AU (Earth-Sun) distances at the farthest extent of its orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">541132 Leleākūhonua</span> Sednoid in the outermost part of the solar system

541132 Leleākūhonua (provisional designation 2015 TG387) is an extreme trans-Neptunian object and sednoid in the outermost part of the Solar System. It was first observed on 13 October 2015, by astronomers at the Mauna Kea Observatories, Hawaii. Based on its discovery date near Halloween and the letters in its provisional designation 2015 TG387, the object was informally nicknamed "The Goblin" by its discoverers and later named Leleākūhonua, comparing its orbit to the flight of the Pacific golden plover. It was the third sednoid discovered, after Sedna and 2012 VP113, and measures around 220 kilometers (140 miles) in diameter.

<span class="nowrap">2018 VG<sub>18</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object @ 123AU

2018 VG18 is a distant trans-Neptunian object (TNO) that was discovered when it was 123 AU (18 billion km; 11 billion mi) from the Sun, more than three times the average distance between the Sun and Pluto. It was discovered on 10 November 2018 by Scott Sheppard, David Tholen, and Chad Trujillo during their search for TNOs whose orbits might be gravitationally influenced by the hypothetical Planet Nine. They announced the discovery of 2018 VG18 on 17 December 2018 and nicknamed the object "Farout" to emphasize its distance from the Sun.

<span class="nowrap">2018 AG<sub>37</sub></span> Trans-Neptunian object @ 132AU

2018 AG37 is a distant trans-Neptunian object and centaur that was discovered 132.2 ± 1.5 AU (19.78 ± 0.22 billion km) from the Sun, farther than any other currently observable known object in the Solar System. Imaged in January 2018 during a search for the hypothetical Planet Nine, the confirmation of this object was announced in a press release in February 2021 by astronomers Scott Sheppard, David Tholen, and Chad Trujillo. The object was nicknamed "FarFarOut" to emphasize its distance from the Sun.

References

  1. "MPEC 2021-C187 : 2018 AG37". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  2. Horizons output. "Barycentric Osculating Orbital Elements for 90377 Sedna (2003 VB12)" . Retrieved 18 September 2021. (Solution using the Solar System barycenter. Select Ephemeris Type:Elements and Center:@0) (Saved Horizons output file 2011-Feb-04 "Barycentric Osculating Orbital Elements for 90377 Sedna". Archived from the original on 19 November 2012.) In the second pane "PR=" can be found, which gives the orbital period in days (4.160E+06, which is 11,390 Julian years).
  3. Most Distant Object In Solar System Discovered; NASA.gov; (2004)
  4. 1 2 "AstDyS-2, Asteroids  Dynamic Site" . Retrieved 17 December 2021. Objects with distance from Sun over 65 AU
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System. "JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris" . Retrieved 10 February 2021.
    Ephemeris Type: Vector; Observer Location: @sun; Time Span: Start=2015-12-01, Stop=2021-06-01, Intervals=1; Table Settings: quantities code=6
  6. 1 2 "Voyager - Hyperbolic Orbital Elements".