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IPS astronomers find retrograde Kuiper Belt comet

Sep. 4, 2008

IPS scientists working as part of the Canada-France Ecliptic Plane Survey have announced the discovery of the first Kuiper Belt object (or transneptunian object) on a `backwards' (retrograde) orbit.

IPS involvement

IPS faculty member Brett Gladman and french research astronomer Jean-Marc Petit (visiting IPS for a year's sabbatical) discovered and conducted tracking observations of the object.

The detailed story can be found at the Press Summary website.