The discovery could also challenge our understanding of how Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) form ... The Altjira system joins the dwarf planet Pluto and the "space snowman" Arrokoth, a contact binary ...

The relative quantities of volatile gases like methane and ethane can reveal key details about distant Kuiper Belt objects.

It's well known that stars form by gravitational collapse of gas, commonly as pairs or triples, but the idea that cosmic objects like those in the Kuiper Belt form in a similar way is still under ...

New research suggests that a binary pair of Kuiper Belt objects, known as the Altjira system, is actually made up of three separate bodies orbiting one another in a complex triad. This rare ...

A new study from BYU professor of physics and astronomy Darin Ragozzine and former undergraduate student Maia Nelsen provides new insight into the structure of objects in the Kuiper Belt. Using data ...

It's well known that stars form by gravitational collapse of gas, commonly as pairs or triples, but that idea that cosmic objects like those in the Kuiper Belt form in a similar way is still under ...

The discovery could also challenge our understanding of how Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) form. If it is confirmed as a triplet, the system — designated 148780 Altjira — could offer scientists a ...