Planet 9 could be lurking behind Neptune, study finds strong evidence
The simulation findings showed that the orbital properties of Neptune-crossing objects closely matched those predicted by a model that included Planet 9.
Researchers may have found the “strongest statistical evidence” yet of Planet 9 (also called Planet X)’s existence.
For years, astronomers have been on the hunt for a mysterious planet that could be lurking in the farthest reaches of our solar system.
Its existence has been proposed based on observations of distant objects beyond Neptune, which appear to be influenced by the gravitational pull of a large, yet unseen, celestial body.
In 2015, Caltech astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown (well known for reclassifying Pluto) presented compelling evidence for the existence of this hypothetical planet. They proposed that Planet 9 likely follows an unusually elongated orbit in the outer solar system.
Now, in a new study, they’ve strengthened their case even further.
Computer simulations to understand presence
Previous studies have shown how Planet 9’s gravitational impact could explain the strange orbits of objects in the outer solar system.
“In this work, we shift the focus toward a more conventional class of TNOs [trans-Neptunian objects], and consider the observed census of long-period, nearly planar, Neptune-crossing objects as a hitherto-unexplored probe of the Planet 9 hypothesis,” the astronomers mention in the study, which is accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
This study examined the movement of unstable TNOs, which was most likely caused by their interaction with Neptune’s orbit. This instability has been difficult to understand hence it was often excluded from the earlier analysis of finding Planet 9.
The researchers ran computational simulations that included gravitational interactions with all large planets, the Galactic tide, and even passing stars. They also incorporated initial conditions reflecting the migration of giant planets and the early evolution of the Sun within a star cluster.
The simulation findings showed that the orbital properties of these Neptune-crossing objects closely matched those predicted by a model that included Planet Nine.
“Our results reveal that the orbital architecture of this group of objects aligns closely with the predictions of the P9-inclusive model,” noted the study paper.
While the exact location of Planet Nine remains unknown, the upcoming operations of the Vera Rubin Observatory promise to shed light on this mystery.
“Fortunately, with the expected commencement of operations by the Vera Rubin Observatory, the orbital distribution of the class of objects considered here will come into much sharper focus,” the paper stated.
Planet 9 could be the size of Uranus
Caltech experts earlier predicted that this proposed planet might have a mass roughly ten times that of Earth and be similar in size to Uranus or Neptune.
Moreover, the hypothetical planet may be around 20 times further from the Sun than Neptune. Due to this huge distance, it may take as many as 10,000 to 20,000 Earth years to complete one full orbit around the Sun.
Interestingly, finding planets orbiting other stars is often simpler than locating them in our solar system. Astronomers use the transit method or observe a star’s wobble to identify planets in star systems other than ours.
Meanwhile, the hunt for the mysterious Planet 9 continues.
The study paper is currently uploaded on the pre-print server arXiv.
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