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Hyperion is a hypothetical trans-Neptunian planet proposed in 2000 to explain certain features of the Kuiper belt's structure. Researchers Collander-Brown, Maran, and Williams suggested that a large, distant tenth planet could have influenced the formation and current distribution of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs).
The Kuiper belt, a region of the Solar System beyond Neptune, contains numerous small icy bodies. Its structure, including the sudden drop-off in the number of objects beyond 48 AU—known as the "Kuiper cliff"—has puzzled astronomers. The existence of a planet-sized object beyond Neptune was proposed to account for these observations.
Simulations indicated that a Mars-sized object in a circular orbit at 60 AU would lead to a trans-Neptunian object population incompatible with observations, such as a severe depletion of the plutino population. However, an Earth-sized object located farther than 100 AU with an eccentric and inclined orbit could explain the Kuiper cliff and peculiar detached objects like Sedna.
References
- ^ Collander-Brown, S.; Maran, M.; Williams, I. P. (2000-10-11). "The effect on the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt of a large distant tenth planet". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 318 (1): 101–108. doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2000.03640.x. ISSN 0035-8711.
- ^ Editor, Hannah Osborne Science (2017-06-23). "A Mars-Sized Planet at the Edge of the Solar System?". Newsweek. Retrieved 2025-01-12.
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