2018 VG18 is a distant, trans-Neptunian object discovered on November 10, 2018 by astronomers Scott S. Sheppard, David Tholen and Chad Trujillo. The planet was nicknamed "Farout" by its discovery team. The object was discovered during a search for the hypothetical Planet Nine.
The planet orbits the Sun at a distance of 123 AU, or more than three and a half times the distance of Pluto from the Sun. At the time of its discovery, it was the most distant Solar System object observed, but has since been beaten by another object nicknamed "FarFarOut", which orbits the Sun at around 140 AU.
Properties[]
The object's diameter is estimated to be about 500 kilometers (310 miles), which makes it a possible dwarf planet. The object is pinkish in color, which suggests an ice-rich surface.
Name[]
The minor planet has not received a name yet and has not been given a number because of its orbital uncertainty. The astronomers who helped discover the object have named it "Farout".
Orbit[]
According to the Minor Planet Center, the current heliocentric distance of this object is 125 to 130 AU, but the specific details of the orbit have not yet been established. It may take several years of observation to properly characterize the orbit, because of the slow motion of the object.