Astronomers discover a mysterious object dancing in sync with Neptune

A rare trans-Neptunian object, named 2020 VN40, has been discovered by astronomers moving and dancing in rhythm with Neptune. 

When Neptune completes 10 orbits around the Sun, VN 40 completes 1 orbit.

It is the first body in the solar system to have (1:10) orbital resonance with the planet.

The rare object is called a Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO) because it belongs to the family of distant bodies in the solar system that orbit beyond Neptune.

The discovered object moves in a unique rhythm and synchronicity with Neptune like a “dance”. 

The movement suggests that these objects are gravitationally bound in a stable relationship with Neptune, explaining how they arrived at the current position.

The discovery 2020 VN40 was made using survey data of Large inclination Distant Objects (LiDo), a program primarily focused on identifying TNOs with highly tilted orbits - objects that orbit far below or above the Earth’s orbit plane.

The LiDo survey utilised Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, Magellan Baade Telescope and observations from Gemini Observatory.

“This is a big step in understanding the outer solar system. It shows that even very distant regions influenced by Neptune can contain objects, and it gives us new clues about how the solar system evolved,” said Rosemary Pike, team leader at Centre for Astrophysics / Harvard & Smithsonian.

What is the largest TNO?

The largest Trans-Neptune Object (TNO) is Pluto and Eris.