Pluto Gets 14 New Neighbors


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Astronomers have discovered a cache of 14 large space rocks beyond the orbit of Neptune while sifting through archival observations from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Icy rocks like the newfound objects are known as trans-Neptunian objects because they typically reside outside Neptune's orbit. These objects include the former planet Pluto, now classified as a dwarf planet, as well as comets like the famed Halley's comet.

The newfound objects range from 25 to 60 miles across (40 to 100 kilometers), said the researchers.

Most trans-Neptunian objects are faint and hard to spot. To find the new group, researchers

searched through Hubble photos for the telltale streaks of light that images of these rocks leave as they move through space during time-lapse exposures. After its initial success, this method could reveal hundreds more trans-Neptunian objects over time, hopeful scientists say.

"Trans-Neptunian objects interest us because they are building blocks left over from the formation of the solar system," said study leader Cesar Fuentes of Northern Arizona University.

These objects are similar to asteroids but lie farther from Earth. Asteroids generally orbit in the inner solar system, out to the orbit of Jupiter.

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