Was ist (90377) sedna?

(90377) Sedna is a large trans-Neptunian object discovered in 2003. It is named after the Inuit goddess of the sea and is one of the most distant known objects in our solar system. Here are some key details about Sedna:

1. Discovery: Sedna was discovered on November 14, 2003, by a team of astronomers led by Michael E. Brown at the California Institute of Technology using the Palomar Observatory near San Diego, California.

2. Distance and Orbit: Sedna is located at an average distance of about 86 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. One AU is approximately the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. Its highly elliptical orbit takes it as close as 76 AU and as far as 939 AU from the Sun. It has an orbital period of around 11,400 years.

3. Size and Composition: Sedna is estimated to be approximately 995 kilometers (618 miles) in diameter, making it one of the largest known objects in the outer solar system. Its exact size is still uncertain due to the limited available data. The surface of Sedna is likely composed of a mixture of rocky material and ice.

4. Unique Characteristics: Sedna's highly elongated and elliptical orbit is unlike that of any other known object in our solar system. It was initially classified as a planetesimal, but later reclassified as a dwarf planet due to its size and characteristics. Sedna's orbit suggests that it may have originated from the inner Oort Cloud, a vast region of icy bodies located far beyond the orbit of Neptune.

5. Exploration: As of now, no spacecraft mission has been conducted to study Sedna. Due to its extreme distance from Earth, it presents significant challenges for exploration. Future missions to explore Sedna and other trans-Neptunian objects remain a topic of scientific interest.

Sedna still holds many mysteries, and further research is needed to better understand its origin, composition, and the dynamics of its unique orbit.