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New Primordial Cluster Discovered Beyond Kuiper Belt

11/23/2025

Summary

Story summary

Astronomers potentially discovered a new primordial cluster beyond the Kuiper Belt, located around 43 astronomical units from the Sun.
The finding is described in a paper by Princeton University scientists and suggests an "inner kernel" within the classical Kuiper Belt not identified since 2011.
The study analyzed 1,650 Kuiper Belt objects using a clustering algorithm to identify this structure.
Further analysis is needed to confirm the discovery, but researchers believe they found a significant substructure reflecting the solar system's early history.

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Story summary

Astronomers potentially discovered a new primordial cluster beyond the Kuiper Belt, located around 43 astronomical units from the Sun.
The finding is described in a paper by Princeton University scientists and suggests an "inner kernel" within the classical Kuiper Belt not identified since 2011.
The study analyzed 1,650 Kuiper Belt objects using a clustering algorithm to identify this structure.
Further analysis is needed to confirm the discovery, but researchers believe they found a significant substructure reflecting the solar system's early history.