2014 UZ224

Lore & Background

2014 UZ224 was discovered by a team led by David Gerdes using data collected by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam). The discovery was announced by the Minor Planet Center on 11 October 2016. The earliest known precovery observations were taken at the Mauna Kea Observatory on 15 October 2006. As of 2025, the object has not been numbered by the Minor Planet Center due to large orbital uncertainty; the discoverers will have sole right to propose a name for ten years from the date it is numbered.

The object orbits the Sun once every approximately 1,150 years. Its perihelion is calculated to be a bit closer than Pluto's semi-major axis, and it is calculated to reach that point in 2142. Assuming its nominal diameter of 635 km, it reflects just 13 percent of the sunlight that hits it. 2014 UZ224 has not yet been imaged by high-resolution telescopes, so it has no known moons. The Hubble Space Telescope is planned to image it in 2026, which should determine if it has any significantly sized moons.

Reader's Guide

2014 UZ224 is significant as a large trans-Neptunian object and possible dwarf planet in the scattered disc, representing one of the most distant known stable objects in the Solar System. Its nickname 'DeeDee' (Distant Dwarf) highlights its remote location. The object's discovery by the Dark Energy Camera team underscores the role of large survey instruments in finding faint outer Solar System bodies. Its estimated diameter of 550 to 700 km places it near the threshold for dwarf planet status, though this remains uncertain. The planned Hubble Space Telescope imaging in 2026 may reveal whether it hosts any moons, which would provide further clues about its formation and history. The object's orbit, with a perihelion slightly closer than Pluto's semi-major axis and an aphelion far beyond, places it in the scattered disc, a region of dynamically excited orbits. Its legacy lies in helping map the outer Solar System's population and in demonstrating the ongoing discovery of large bodies at extreme distances.

Did You Know?

• 2014 UZ224 is nicknamed 'DeeDee' for 'Distant Dwarf'.
• As of 2021, it was approximately 89.7 AU from the Sun.