Is quaoar in our solar system

Is Quaoar a dwarf planet?

Not to be confused with Quasar. Quaoar (minor-planet designation: 50000 Quaoar) is a large, ringed dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a region of icy planetesimals beyond Neptune. It has an elongated ellipsoidal shape with an average diameter of 1,090 km (680 mi), about half the size of the dwarf planet Pluto.

Does Quaoar have a ring?

The newly discovered dwarf planet, named Quaoar, is around half the size of Pluto and orbits the Sun beyond Neptune. Ring systems are relatively rare in the Solar System and are only thought to be able to survive because they orbit closely to their planet. However, Quaoar's ring seems to be much further away than experts thought possible!

Where is Quaoar located?

Quaoar is a planetoid that lies in the Kuiper Belt, a region of space beyond Pluto that is filled with icy bodies.

Is Quaoar a big surprise for astronomers?

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The small distant world called Quaoar, named after a god of creation in Native American mythology, is producing some surprises for astronomers as it orbits beyond Pluto in the frigid outer reaches of our solar system.

Does Quaoar have a moon?

Quaoar's surface contains crystalline water ice and ammonia hydrate, which suggests that it might have experienced cryovolcanism. A small amount of methane is present on its surface, which can only be retained by the largest Kuiper belt objects. Quaoar has one known moon, Weywot, which was discovered by Brown in February 2007.

How far away is Quaoar from the Sun?

Inhabiting a distant region called the Kuiper belt populated by various icy bodies, Quaoar orbits about 43 times further than Earth's distance to the sun. In comparison, Neptune, the outermost planet, orbits about 30 times further than Earth's distance from the sun, and Pluto about 39 times further.