Astronomers Discover Small Object in Unique 10:1 Orbital Resonance with Neptune

Astronomers Discover Small Object in Unique 10:1 Orbital Resonance with Neptune
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Astronomers have identified a small celestial body, designated 2020 VN40, that orbits the Sun in exact sync with Neptune, completing one orbit for every ten Neptune completes, Earth.com reported. This marks the first confirmed 10:1 mean motion resonance observed in the outer solar system, expanding our understanding of planetary dynamics far beyond previously known resonances like Neptune’s famous 3:2 resonance with Pluto.

Unlike typical resonant objects that avoid close encounters with Neptune by approaching the Sun when Neptune is distant, 2020 VN40’s orbit is unusual—it reaches its closest point to the Sun when Neptune appears nearby in projection but remains separated vertically due to its high tilt. This rare “eyehole” orbital path offers a unique opportunity to study high-inclination dynamics.

Simulations suggest 2020 VN40 remains locked in resonance for tens to hundreds of millions of years before drifting away. Its existence hints at a much larger population of distant, faint objects trapped in similar resonances, remnants of Neptune’s outward migration billions of years ago.

Future surveys, especially with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time, are expected to discover many more such objects, deepening insights into the solar system’s formation and evolution.