A decade of observations with the Subaru Telescope has revealed a new cluster of objects beyond the Kuiper Belt, potentially indicating a previously unknown structure in our Solar System.

This discovery, set to be detailed in the Planetary Science Journal, suggests that the Kuiper Belt may extend much farther than previously thought.

The cluster, consisting of 11 objects orbiting between 70 and 90 astronomical units from the Sun, is separated from the Kuiper Belt by a large gap, Futurism has reported.

This finding could lead to a major revision of our understanding of the Solar System’s formation and its size relative to other planetary systems, hinting that our Solar System might be more typical than unique.

If confirmed, this could also have implications for the prevalence of life across the universe.

Written by B.C. Begley