SDSS Press Release Images

SEE YOU AGAIN IN 22,000 YEARS
Astronomers Find an Unusual New Denizen of the Solar System
August 18, 2008


The orbit of the newly discovered solar system object SQ372 (blue), in comparison to the orbits of Neptune, Pluto, and Sedna (white, green, red). The location of the Sun is marked by the yellow dot at the center. The inset panel shows an expanded view, including the orbits of Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter inside the orbit of Neptune. Even on this expanded scale, the size of Earth's orbit would be barely distinguishable from the central dot.
Credit: N. Kaib.

Animation showing the detection of SQ372 by SDSS-II. Successive frames show images from the SDSS-II supernova survey taken on October 21, 23, and 28, 2006. SQ372 changes position as it moves in its orbit, while the positions of the stars, which are much more distant, stay fixed.
Credit: A. Becker and the SDSS.


Updated: 2008 August 6