What is the most distant object that is in orbit around the Sun?

Question

What is the most distant object that is in orbit around the Sun?

Answer 1

That we have actually observed? Or hypothesized?

The Oort Cloud would be my answer, except that it is a hypothesis, not an observation.

Sedna is probably the best option - it's probably an Oort Cloud object, and we only spotted it close to perihelion.

Or possibly long period comets (they are the reason we think the Oort cloud exists).

ADDED:

check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/90377_Sedna

Sedna is more distant than Eris - it is the farthest known object. Although it was closer to us that Eris when it was discovered (76 AU as opposed to 97AU for Eris), it's higly elliptical orbit means that its aphelion point is ~975 AU, ten times further away than Eris).

Answer 2

The Oort Cloud is a grouping of asteroids that is the farthest out.  This is not one object, but  millions of asteroids - relatively small rocks, maybe a couple of miles in size.

But I think the absolute farthest single objects are comets, like Haley's Comet or the Hale-Bopp Comet.  Some comets orbit well beyond the Oort cloud, although which ones specifically I don't know.

Note that COMETS and ASTEROIDS are completely different things,and both are different from meteors.

Answer 3

The radius of the Sun's "zone of control" extends halfway to the "triple binary system" of Alpha, Beta (they revolve around each other), and Proxima Centauri (Alpha and Beta together revolve around Proxima).

So theoretically, a Comet could extend out that far.

If the perturbation in the "zone of control" happened to coincide with the farthest reaches of a Comet's orbit, then theoretically, it could orbit both the Sun and the Alpha Centauri system like a figure eight by getting captured. But the timing would have to be impeccable.  

And if those odds don't suit you, think of how Tarzan used to fly through the jungle, from vine to vine; in that same way a Comet could "jump" from star system to star system, if only the timing were right each time it extended to the furthest ellipse of it's orbit.

I doubt if it could ever escape the Milky Way Galaxy however, there are too many stars within it that would have a gravitational say.

Answer 4

Unknown, dark matter extends almost to the nearest star

Answer 5

Whatever it is, we haven't seen it yet. Sedna goes out to 975 AU. The Oort Cloud (source of long-period comets) is thought to exist out to about 50,000 AU. Objects could hypothetically orbit out to about 200,000 AU, though at that distance they would be very weakly bound and apt to be perturbed off into interstellar space, or maybe captured by Alpha Centauri.

Answer 6

Somewhere on the far side of the Oort Cloud is an object of ice and rock  that holds that distinction.  Although it probably changes place with a myriad of other objects over the eons. Because of the unimaginably huge expanse of the Oort cloud, that object which currently holds that distinction will never be identified.  However I would propose the name "scooter" in honor a departed cat of mine who lost a battle with an automobile.  He was a most excellent cat and is worthy of this distinction.  Please contact the IAU and demand that they name this unidentified rock after my cat.  He did love to roam far from home.  

Answer 7

       The Oort cloud.

Answer 8

The Kuiper Belt.

The Oort cloud is not in orbit of our sun.

Answer 9

The most distant known object is Eris, the larger-than-Pluto Kuiper belt object discovered a few years back, that resulted in Pluto being knocked out of it's "Planetary" status.  

The most distant object that *must* exist is the Oort cloud, out to a distance of about 1/2 to 3/4 of a light year.  

Answer 10

The Oort Cloud! A spherical cloud of comets that sorrounds our solar system.