---
title: "Astronomers Just Found a Dwarf Planet Three Times As Far Away As Pluto"
description: "A group of scientists discovered the most distant body we've ever observed in the entire Solar System: a dwarf planet called 2018 VG18 or \"Farout.\""
date: "2018-12-17"
modified: "2018-12-17"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/dwarf-planet-farout-2018-vg18"
categories:
  - "Off-World"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "astronomer"
  - "Dwarf Planet"
  - "NASA"
  - "solar system"
---

# Astronomers Just Found a Dwarf Planet Three Times As Far Away As Pluto

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/farout-dwarf-planet.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Roberto Molar Candanosa/Carnegie Institution for Science\</em\>*

## "Far Out!"

It's official: astronomers [found a new dwarf planet](<https://sites.google.com/carnegiescience.edu/sheppard/farout>) in our solar system — and it's the most distant object ever observed in our solar system.

"I said 'far out!' when I discovered it, and it’s a very far out object," said astronomer Scott Shepard from the Carnegie Institution for Science, as [quoted](<https://www.newscientist.com/article/2188500-a-new-dwarf-planet-called-farout-is-the-most-distant-weve-ever-seen/>) by *New Scientist.*

The tiny planet is called 2018 VG18 — later nicknamed "Farout" by the team that discovered it — and it's about 3.5 as far away as Pluto, some 18 billion kilometers (11.2 billion miles) away. That's more than 100 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun — and about the same distance as Voyager 2, the NASA probe that launched in 1977 and [reached interstellar space this month](<https://futurism.com/voyager-2-just-entered-interstellar-space>).

Farout was spotted by the Japanese Subaru telescope in Hawaii on November 10 by Shepard and several colleagues, [according to a statement](<https://sites.google.com/carnegiescience.edu/sheppard/farout>) on Carnegie Institution for Science's website.

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/farout.jpg>)

## Unusual Orbits

So far, Farout is still deeply mysterious. But one aspect already attracting scientific interest is its unusual orbit. Farout orbits at an unusual angle, along with other so-called ["trans-Neptunian objects."](<http://www.sci-news.com/space/planetaryscience/gravity-planet-nine-orbits-sedna-detached-trans-neptunian-objects-06082.html>) There's been a lot of speculation in recent years about what might be causing those astronomical bodies' [unusual trajectory](<https://earthsky.org/space/no-planet-9-collective-gravity-orbits-outer-solar-system>).

One of the most popular explanations is the possible existence of a [ninth planet](<https://futurism.com/planet-nine-cluster-little-rocks>), or Planet X. In fact, the astronomers discovered Farout while searching for the existence of a ninth planet, according to the [statement](<https://sites.google.com/carnegiescience.edu/sheppard/farout>). Most recent data suggests it could also be a [group of objects](<https://phys.org/news/2018-06-gravity-planet-orbits-detached.html>) within the same gravitational field.

## Slow and Pinkish

But we can glean at least *some* details about Farout. Farout is estimated to be 500 km in diameter, and to take more than 1,000 years to orbit the Sun. It also has a pinkish hue, according to the researchers.

"With new wide-field digital cameras on some of the world’s largest telescopes, we are finally exploring our Solar System’s fringes, far beyond Pluto," said Chad Trujillo, astronomer from Northern Arizona University.

The discovery shows that even though researchers are now routinely finding planets orbiting other stars, there are still planet-sized undiscovered objects in our own solar system. It really goes to show how much there still is to learn about our relatively small corner of the galaxy.

**READ MORE:** [A new dwarf planet called Farout is the most distant we’ve ever seen](<https://www.newscientist.com/article/2188500-a-new-dwarf-planet-called-farout-is-the-most-distant-weve-ever-seen/>) \[*New Scientist*\]

***More on Planet X: [Theorized Planet Nine Might Actually Be A Cluster Of Little Rocks](<https://futurism.com/planet-nine-cluster-little-rocks>)***

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
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