A team of astronomers has confirmed the discovery of a planetoid that is almost four times farther from the Sun than Pluto, making it the most distant object ever observed in our solar system. The planetoid, which has been nicknamed “Farfarout,” was first detected in 2018, and the team has now collected enough observations to pin down its orbit. The newly discovered object has a very elongated orbit that takes it out to 175 au at its most distant point to around 27 au when it is close to the Sun. (1 au is the distance between the Earth and Sun.) Farfarout’s journey around the Sun takes about a thousand years, crossing the massive planet Neptune’s orbit every time.

Astronomers Confirm Orbit of Most Distant Object Ever Observed in Our Solar System