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Space
Space
Science
Robert Lea

Astronomers discover strange solar system body dancing in sync with Neptune: 'Like finding a hidden rhythm in a song'

Ann illustration shows a transneptunian object dancing in harmony with Neptune.

Astronomers have found that a weird space rock at the edge of the solar system is locked in a rhythmic dance with Neptune.

The object, designated 2020 VN40, is part of a family of distant solar system objects called trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). 2020 VN40 is the first object discovered that orbits the sun once for every ten orbits Neptune makes. Considering that one Neptunian year lasts 164.8 Earth years, that means 2020 VN40 has one heck of a long year, lasting around 1,648 years or 19,776 months on Earth!

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