The most-distant solar system object discovered

For the first time, an object in our solar system has been found more than 100 times farther than Earth is from the sun.

The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center announced the discovery Monday, calling the object 2018 VG18. But the researchers who found it are calling it "Farout."

They believe the spherical object is a dwarf planet more than 310 miles in diameter, with a pinkish hue. That color has been associated with objects that are rich in ice, and given its distance from the sun, that isn't hard to believe. Its slow orbit probably takes more than 1,000 years to make one trip around the sun, the researchers said.

The distance between the Earth and the sun is an AU, or astronomical unit -- the equivalent of about 93 million miles.

The most-distant solar system object discovered

For the first time, an object in our solar system has been found more than 100 times farther than Earth is from the sun. The International Astronomical Unions Minor Planet Center announced the discovery Monday, calling the object 2018 VG18. But the researchers who found it are calling it Farout. They believe the spherical object is a dwarf planet more than 310 miles in diameter, with a pinkish hue. That color has been associated with objects that are rich in ice, and given its distance from the sun, that isnt hard to believe. Its slow orbit probably takes more than 1,000 years to make one trip around the sun, the researchers said. The distance between the Earth and the sun is an AU, or astronomical unit -- the equivalent of about 93 million miles.