Discovery of close binary trans-Neptunian object: Scientists utilized citizen science network to observe the object – Science Daily

A new study authored by Southwest Research Institute scientists Rodrigo Leiva and Marc Buie reveals the binary nature of a trans-Neptunian object (TNO). Leiva and Buie utilized data obtained by the Research and Education Collaborative Occultation Network (RECON), a citizen science research net-work dedicated to observing the outer solar system. The study was published this month in The Astrophysical Journal.Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are small icy bodies that orbit the Sun beyond Neptune. Bi…

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