On the edge of the solar system there is a ninth planet unknown to science
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Strange clusters of orbits of celestial bodies far at the edge of the solar system may be caused by a large, distant and currently undiscovered «Planet Nine», writes The Daily Star.
Scientists say there may be evidence that our A new ninth planet is lurking in the solar system.
“Planet Nine” or “Planet X” has long been seen as an explanation for the strange orbits of dwarf planets in our solar system, far beyond Neptune. But despite being potentially as large as Neptune, this hypothetical planet has never been discovered.
Now a new study from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, saying they have found further evidence to support the planet's existence.
Speaking to Newsweek, Michael Brown, a professor of planetary astronomy at Caltech and co-author of the study, said, «If Planet Nine didn't exist, we'd have to come up with five or six separate (and unknown) explanations for all these oddities in the motions of the solar system's visible planets.»
The same group of researchers in 2015 found mathematical evidence that a massive planet 10 times larger than Earth orbits the Sun 20 times farther than Neptune. Their research at the time showed that Planet Nine could take 10,000 and 20,000 Earth years to complete its orbit around the Sun
Scientists believe that the unusual grouping of celestial bodies' orbits around the Sun may be caused by a mysterious planet. They tracked these orbits and came to the conclusion that the most likely explanation is the existence of another large planet beyond Neptune, which has not yet been discovered.
Today, scientists include eight planets in the solar system — Mercury, Venus, Earth , Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Discovered in 1930, Pluto, considered the ninth planet, lost this status in 2006. This cosmic body is recognized as a dwarf planet and is the largest Kuiper belt object.