He 2025 could mark a milestone in space explorationwith the possibility that an unknown planet, beyond the orbit of Neptune, will finally be discovered. This mystery has captured the attention of scientists and astronomers around the world, who focus on the enigmatic dwarf planet Eris, discovered in 2005 by astronomer Michael E. Brown and his team.
Eris, which with a diameter of approximately 2,400 kilometers is larger than Pluto, It is located in the Kuiper Belt, a remote and cold region of the Solar System. However, due to its enormous distance, it remains virtually invisible to today’s most advanced telescopes. This challenge has prompted scientists to study its orbital relationship with the Moon Disnomia, its natural satellite, to better understand its composition and location.
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The discovery of Eris opened an international debate at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) about what qualifies an object as a planet, which generated a new look at the Solar system and its structure. The controversy has also given rise to the theory of “Planet Nine”, a possible as yet unidentified celestial mass, which could be far beyond the orbit of Pluto.
Hoping to solve this mystery, Brown’s research team has stepped up its efforts. In May 2024, they took a 3,200-megapixel camera from the California Institute of Technology to the top of Cerro Pachón in Chile, in an attempt to capture the first images of Eris, still invisible to other telescopes.
He Vera C. Rubin Observatorywhich will open its doors in early 2025, will be essential to advance this search. Equipped with state-of-the-art telescopes, this observatory is designed to capture millions of celestial phenomena and could be key to discovering not only Eris, but also other celestial bodiessuch as asteroids and collapsed stars, which still remain hidden.
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If the presence of Eris is confirmed, technological advances would allow astronomers to reflect the light necessary to pinpoint its location in the vast universe. Although the extreme conditions in which this dwarf planet could find itself make the challenge monumental, scientists remain optimistic that, in 2025, they could finally unlock this great mystery of the Solar System and expand our understanding of the cosmos.
