Discovery and dynamics of a Sedna-like object with a perihelion of 66 au
Date Issued
2025
Author(s)
Chen, Yingtung
Lykawka, Patryk Sofia
Huang, Yukun
Kavelaars, J. J.
Fraser, Wesley C.
Bannister, Michele T.
Wang, Shiang Yu
Chang, Chankao
Lehner, Matthew J.
Yoshida, Fumi
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02595-7
Abstract
Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) with large perihelion distances (q > 60 au) and semi-major axes (a > 200 au) provide insights into the early evolution of the Solar System and the existence of a hypothetical distant planet. These objects are challenging to observe, and thus their detections are still rare, yet they play a crucial role in constraining models of Solar System formation. Here we report the discovery of a Sedna-like TNO, 2023 KQ<inf>14</inf>, nicknamed ‘Ammonite’, with q = 66 au, a = 252 au and inclination i = 11°. The orbit of Ammonite does not align with those of the other Sedna-like objects and fills the previously unexplained ‘q-gap’ in the observed distribution of distant Solar System objects. Simulations demonstrate that Ammonite is dynamically stable over 4.5 Gyr. Our analysis suggests that Ammonite and the other Sedna-like objects may have shared a primordial orbital clustering around 4.2 Ga. Furthermore, the stable orbit of Ammonite favours larger orbits (~500 au) rather than closer ones for a large hypothetical planet in present-day trans-Neptunian space. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.


