In the far reaches of our solar System, beyond Neptune’s orbit, there might be a New Planet In Our Solar System. A mysterious force has been pushing around icy objects, clustered in orbits that cannot be explained by the known planets alone. Scientists think this could be due to a new planet called Planet 9. Astronomers have been searching the outer solar System for signs of a theoretical ninth planet for almost a decade without success. However, experts believe we may finally be on the cusp of finding it.
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In the Solar System’s outer regions, a distant icy world might be waiting to be discovered. A new telescope will begin scanning the sky next year, potentially leading to the long-awaited discovery of this mysterious planet. While the solar System currently has eight recognized planets, astronomers have suggested that a ninth world, known as “Planet Nine,” could exist in the farthest reaches of our cosmic neighborhood. This hypothetical planet, distinct from Pluto, could be a gas or ice giant located billions of miles beyond the known planets. Its potential existence can reshape our understanding of the origins and development of the Solar System.
The Ongoing Hunt for Planet Nine
Scientists have predicted its size, distance from the sun, and orbit. However, they have not been able to locate it yet. The search for this potential ninth planet could be resolved with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, scheduled to open in 2025. Experts believe they may finally find Planet Nine within the next few years or conclusively rule out its existence.
The idea of a ninth planet in our solar System came about after discovering Uranus in 1781 and Neptune in 1846, more than 3,000 years after the Babylonians first spotted the other planets. These discoveries hinted at the vastness of our solar System, leading to the intriguing possibility of more undiscovered worlds. Despite Pluto’s initial classification as the ninth planet, no other full-sized planets beyond Neptune or the Kuiper Belt appeared. As astronomers explored deeper into the outer solar system, missing such a large planet seemed increasingly unlikely.
A Cosmic Puzzle
In 2004, scientists discovered Sedna, a potential dwarf planet beyond the Kuiper Belt. Sedna exhibited an unusual orbit around the sun, indicating the presence of another large mass in the outer solar System exerting gravitational influence on it. This hypothesis was difficult to prove due to a lack of information. In 2014, astronomers identified a smaller object in the Kuiper Belt, named 2012 VP113, with a similar strange orbit to Sedna’s. This discovery suggested that more eccentric trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are yet to be found.
The discovery of a shared “kink” in the orbits of Sedna and 2012 VP113 stimulated the curiosity of Caltech astronomers Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin. Due to this intriguing irregularity, these objects appeared briefly dipping below the known planets’ orbit plane. This suggested that some gravitational force, possibly from an asteroid clump, a dwarf planet, or even a full-fledged world, was influencing these distant objects.
The Case for Planet Nine
Even after realizing a ninth planet was possible, they withheld their findings to find a less controversial explanation. Then they discovered four more TNOs with similar, distorted orbits, making a missing planet seem the most logical explanation.
At the time, the same scientists calculated that there was just a 2% chance that all six TNOs they had studied shared their orbital oddities thanks to random chance. So, in 2016, Brown and Batygin published their “Planet Nine hypothesis,” which has captured the public’s imagination ever since.
Since 2016, Brown, Batygin, and others have been actively searching for Planet Nine. Although they have not yet found it, they have discovered even more eccentric TNOs, bringing the total to 13 and further strengthening the case for its presence. These discoveries also provide more information about Planet Nine’s potential size, distance from the sun, and orbital trajectory through the Solar System.
The Challenge of Finding a Distant Giant
At this distance, it could take between 5,000 and 10,000 years for Planet Nine to complete a single orbit around the sun. Its orbit is likely highly elliptical, leading to significant variations in its distance from the sun over time. Furthermore, it probably orbits on a different plane than the rest of the planets, which adds to the challenge of locating it.
So, why haven’t we spotted Planet Nine yet? It’s simply “very, very far away,” according to Brown. Researchers didn’t know where the planet was on its predicted orbital path, so they had to search a huge region of the sky. Brown compared the search to “a single white whale in an ocean.” Researchers analyzed thousands of images from sky surveys along Planet Nine’s proposed path, looking for objects showing movement over time.
Conclusion
If Planet Nine is at its farthest point, a powerful telescope will be needed to spot it. Brown and Batygin are analyzing data from Japan’s Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, which has better chances than Pan-STARRS. If this survey fails, they plan to use the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, now under construction. This telescope, with the world’s largest digital camera, will see farther into the Solar System than ever before. Just as the James Webb Telescope looks farther across the universe.
Although scientists are still divided over the existence of Planet Nine, they all agree on one thing. That finding the elusive world would likely be the most significant solar system discovery of the century.
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