Posted: Fri, Dec 16, 2005, 7:59 AM ET (1259 GMT)
Astronomers announced this week that they have discovered a large Kuiper Belt Object with an unusual orbit. An international team of astronomers discovered the object, known officially as 2004 XR 190 and unofficially as "Buffy", was first spotted in data from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) a year ago, and later followed up in observations at Palomar Observatory. The object is in a nearly circular orbit about 50 AU (7.5 billion km) from the Sun, and inclined 47 degrees from the ecliptic. No other KBO discovered to date has such a large, circular, inclined orbit. Astronomers aren't sure how the object got into its present orbit, as interactions with Neptune or a passing star would not easily explain the orbit. Buffy is a large object, based on its brightness, with an estimated diameter of between 500 and 1000 km.

Related Links:

•  New Scientist article
•  AFP article
•  Reuters article
•  CFHT press release