Posted on 06/02/2016 7:40:16 AM PDT by MtnClimber
There may be an alien planet lurking within Earth's own solar system.
If the hypothetical Planet Nine does indeed exist, the sun probably ripped the world away from another star long ago, a new study suggests.
"It is almost ironic that while astronomers often find exoplanets hundreds of light-years away in other solar systems, there's probably one hiding in our own backyard," study lead author Alexander Mustill, an astronomer at Lund University in Sweden, said in a statement. [The Evidence for Planet Nine in Pictures].
Earlier this year, astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown, both of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, announced the possible existence of Planet Nine, a world perhaps 10 times as massive as Earth that's thought to lie in the outer solar system, far beyond Pluto's orbit.
Nobody has seen Planet Nine; Batygin and Brown inferred its existence from the odd orbits of a half-dozen small bodies in the frigid zone beyond Neptune known as the Kuiper Belt.
Some scientists around the world are looking for Planet Nine through a variety of telescopes, while others are trying to figure out where it came from (if the planet does indeed exist).
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
Still seems like a far out theory.
I wonder how many ‘solar systems’ exist where the central ‘star’ never ignited.
Just large planet-sized objects orbiting each other.
Planet 9 from outer space.
Sounds like a good movie. “Planet Nine From Outer Space”.
Speaking of which, I saw an interesting show on the New Horizons space probe’s trip to Pluto and the pics/inferences from the trip. Just another indication that the more we think we know, the less we really know.
Nice Pun.
Actually if they could find it, it would explain behaviors we observe but haven’t figured out, like what and why objects are knocked out of the orc cloud on semi regular (if very long periods between) cycles.
Of course one would think if something was out there, its assumed someone would have seen it by now, but that is a long long way away, and there is no guarantee whatever it is, its orbit would be aligned with the other planets, so what angle do you look for it?
I will certainly yield to trained astrophysicists but I think the circumstantial evidence certainly seems to suggest something could be out there.
Plan 9 From Planet 9 From Outer Space?
Let’s grab a quick bite at the Chinese restaurant before seeing it.
I’m thinking that far out from the sun, very cold planet. Subzero temps.
Sounds like a good movie. “Planet Nine From Outer Space”. ...........Your Stupid Minds! Stupid! Stupid! Its Plan 9, Earth is doomed, the plan calls for a woman President of the USA!
Any way, it's larger than Jupiter, but smaller than a brown dwarf. Also has a temperature range associated with it.
Sounds like a good movie. “Planet Nine From Outer Space”. ...........Your Stupid Minds! Stupid! Stupid! Its Plan 9, Earth is doomed, the plan calls for a woman President of the USA!
Please join "Pluto Planets Matter". We oppose the New Worlds Order and its relegating of Traditional Planet Cultural Norms to second class planetoid status.
Support Occupy Observatories
Ah. To get paid to come up with completely unverifiable theories and unrepeatable conjectures. Science is even better than politics. They get to hide behind PhDs.
#AllPlutoPlanetsMatter
” the sun probably ripped the world away from another star “
So the Sun’s gravitational pull is enough to wrest material from another star system?
Interesting.
Well they have to have something to guess at in order to apply for those federal study grants.....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.