Trans-Neptunian Object
Date: 18 Sep 2010

This is an artist's concept of a craggy piece of solar system debris that belongs to a class of bodies called trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Astronomers culling the data archives of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have added new TNOs to the catalog. The newfound TNOs range from 25 to 60 miles (40-100 km) across. Their method promises to turn up hundreds more. In this illustration, the distant sun is reduced to a bright star at a distance of over 3 billion miles.


Last Update: 29 Mar 2011 (AMB)

Credit: NASA