A New Planet Discovered? Planet 9 Has a Rival -- Meet Planet Y [9:45]

--> YouTube-Generated Transcript <--
· Introduction
0:01 · [Music]
0:04 · Astronomers may have found evidence of a
0:07 · new planet hiding in our solar system.
0:09 · And it's not planet 9. A recent study
0:12 · from Princeton University proposes the
0:15 · existence of planet Y, a smaller, closer
0:18 · world that could be subtly bending the
0:20 · orbits of distant Kyper belt objects. If
0:23 · proven, it would be the first new planet
0:26 · added to our solar system since Neptune.
0:28 · In this video, we'll explore what planet
0:31 · Y is, why scientists think it might
0:34 · exist, and what comes next in the search
0:36 · for it. Let's get started.
· The Discovery
0:41 · The idea of hidden planets isn't new.
0:44 · For more than a century, astronomers
0:46 · have speculated that unseen worlds
0:48 · beyond Neptune could explain odd
0:50 · movements among distant bodies. Pluto's
0:53 · discovery in 1930 briefly satisfied that
0:56 · curiosity, but as observations improved,
1:00 · its small mass proved inadequate to
1:02 · explain the remaining anomalies. Now,
1:05 · new data suggests there could be more
1:07 · out there. In August 2025,
1:11 · Princeton astrophysicists Amir Siraj
1:14 · along with Christopher Chiba and Scott
1:16 · Tmaine published a peer-reviewed study
1:19 · in monthly notices of the Royal
1:21 · Astronomical Society proposing planet Y,
1:25 · a hypothetical planet orbiting between
1:28 · 100 and 200 astronomical units AU from
1:32 · the sun. The researchers analyzed the
1:35 · orbits of more than 150 Kyper Belt
1:38 · objects, Kbos.
1:40 · After accounting for Neptune's
1:42 · influence, they noticed something
1:44 · unusual. The orbital planes of objects
1:47 · between 80 and 200 astronomical units
1:50 · are systematically tilted. This warp is
1:53 · small but statistically significant,
1:55 · hinting at the pole of a massive unseen
1:58 · body. To explain it, the team modeled
2:01 · multiple scenarios. gravitational
2:03 · resonance among the KBOS, the Milky Ways
2:07 · tidal influence, and past stellar
2:09 · flybys. None could reproduce the
2:12 · observed pattern as effectively as a
2:14 · single orbiting planet. Their
2:17 · calculations suggest a body 25 to 450
2:21 · times the mass of Pluto, roughly between
2:24 · Mercury and Mars in size, orbiting on a
2:27 · path inclined 10 to 15° relative to the
2:30 · solar systems main plane. That makes it
2:33 · smaller and closer than the much
2:35 · discussed planet 9, which is predicted
2:38 · to be 5 to 10 Earth masses and roughly
2:41 · 600 astronomical units away. So far, no
2:45 · telescope has directly seen planet Y.
2:48 · The evidence is entirely gravitational,
2:50 · a mathematical fingerprint written in
2:52 · the Kyper belts architecture. Yet, this
2:55 · pattern is precise enough that many
2:57 · astronomers now view the hypothesis as a
3:00 · credible, testable prediction rather
3:02 · than speculation.
· Scientific Importance and Theories
3:09 · If planet Y exists, it would challenge
3:11 · the assumption that our solar systems
3:13 · planetary family ends with Neptune. Its
3:16 · presence would imply that the early
3:18 · solar system produced more large bodies
3:20 · than previously thought, some of which
3:23 · survived on distant orbits. There are
3:25 · three leading formation scenarios. One,
3:28 · native survivor, a planet formed near
3:31 · the giant planets and was scattered
3:33 · outward during the solar systems chaotic
3:35 · early evolution. Two, captured object, a
3:40 · wandering interstellar planet that
3:41 · passed close enough to the sun to be
3:44 · gravitationally trapped. Three,
3:47 · complement to planet 9, a smaller
3:49 · companion that together with planet 9
3:52 · shapes the Kyper belt structure. Each
3:55 · explanation would add a new layer to
3:56 · models of planetary formation and
3:59 · migration. Planetwise predicted mass is
4:02 · also scientifically significant. A body
4:05 · with a fraction of Earth's mass at 100
4:08 · to 200 astronomical units would have
4:11 · enough gravity to clear its orbit. The
4:13 · core requirement for official planet
4:15 · status under the International
4:17 · Astronomical Union's 2006 definition. At
4:21 · roughly 50 times Pluto's mass, it would
4:24 · easily qualify as a full planet, not a
4:26 · dwarf one. Confirming such a world would
4:29 · also refine our understanding of the
4:31 · Kyper belt's dynamics. The belt is not
4:34 · uniform. Its objects exhibit clustered
4:36 · angles and inclinations that suggest an
4:39 · external perturbing force. Planet Y
4:42 · could provide a straightforward
4:44 · gravitational explanation for this
4:45 · pattern. Not all astronomers are
4:47 · convinced. Some argue that the apparent
4:50 · warp could emerge naturally from the
4:52 · collective gravitational effects of many
4:54 · smaller objects. Others point out that
4:57 · small number statistics and
4:58 · observational bias might exaggerate the
5:01 · alignment. Nevertheless, the Princeton
5:03 · model reproduces observed data with
5:06 · fewer assumptions, keeping the
5:07 · hypothesis scientifically persuasive. If
5:11 · real, planet Y would fill an important
5:14 · missing link, showing that planetary
5:16 · formation continues smoothly into the
5:18 · outer regions rather than stopping
5:21 · abruptly after Neptune. In broader
5:23 · terms, it would remind us that even
5:26 · within our own solar system, much
5:28 · remains undiscovered.
· Implications and What’s Next
5:34 · [Music]
5:36 · The key test for planet Y will come from
5:38 · observation. The Vera Rubin Observatory
5:41 · in Chile, set to begin full operations
5:43 · soon, is designed for this exact kind of
5:46 · search. Its legacy survey of space and
5:48 · time, LSST, will image the entire
5:52 · southern sky every few nights, capturing
5:54 · faint, slowmoving objects at the fringes
5:57 · of the solar system. At 100 to 200
6:00 · astronomical units, Planet Y would be
6:03 · extremely dim, perhaps a million times
6:06 · fainter than what the naked eye can see.
6:09 · and moving only a few arcsec.
6:12 · But LSST's repeated scans and powerful
6:15 · data processing algorithms could reveal
6:18 · its motion over months or years. If
6:20 · planet Y exists, LSST might detect it
6:24 · directly or indirectly through improved
6:26 · mapping of distant Kbos whose orbits
6:29 · betray its gravitational tug. In either
6:32 · case, the data collected within the next
6:34 · few years should decisively confirm or
6:37 · reject the hypothesis. Should the planet
6:39 · be found, the implications are profound.
6:42 · It would represent the first new planet
6:44 · discovered in nearly two centuries and
6:47 · confirm that our solar system extends
6:49 · much farther and with greater complexity
6:51 · than previously imagined. It could
6:53 · explain why certain long period comets
6:56 · approach the sun from odd directions.
6:58 · and it would add a new data point for
7:00 · studying how planetary systems form and
7:03 · evolve elsewhere in the galaxy. The
7:06 · discovery would also settle an ongoing
7:08 · public debate about what defines a
7:10 · planet. Pluto was reclassified as a
7:13 · dwarf planet because it hadn't cleared
7:15 · its orbit. A Mars mass world at 100
7:19 · astronomical units would have no such
7:22 · problem satisfying every criterion of
7:24 · planet hood and restoring some symmetry
7:27 · to the solar systems outer architecture.
7:30 · If however the LSST finds no trace of
7:35 · planet Y, the outcome remains valuable.
7:38 · Astronomers would re-evaluate the
7:40 · dynamics of the Kyper belt, perhaps
7:42 · attributing its warp to distributed mass
7:44 · effects or past stellar encounters. The
7:47 · search itself will yield thousands of
7:49 · new minor body discoveries, refining our
7:52 · map of the solar systems edge. Looking
7:55 · ahead, planet Y has already sparked
7:58 · discussions about future deep space
8:00 · missions. With advancements in
8:02 · propulsion, future probes might travel
8:05 · beyond Neptune to directly survey these
8:07 · distant realms, whether or not a hidden
8:10 · planet awaits there. The broader
8:12 · takeaway is that science progresses
8:15 · through investigation, not certainty.
8:17 · Each anomaly drives inquiry, and even a
8:20 · null result pushes knowledge forward.
· Outro
8:29 · Planet Y remains unconfirmed, but the
8:32 · search continues. Whether it exists or
8:34 · not, the investigation expands our
8:37 · understanding of the solar systems edge.
8:39 · Sometimes the pursuit of discovery
8:41 · reveals as much as discovery itself.
· Enjoy
9:40 · [Music]

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Google news searches: exoplanet · exosolar · extrasolar ·

Measuring the Mean Plane of the Distant Kuiper Belt
Amir Siraj, Christopher F. Chyba, and Scott Tremaine
Planet Y Princeton [Brave search]
Planet Y Princeton [Brave news search]

Since we already have Uranus, can we please name this one Urrectum?

Astronomers from Princeton may have found evidence of a hidden planet

Not 'hidden'!

Secluded!

They like their privacy.

Meanwhile, Ocrazio-Cortex and her ilk are asking:

Planet Why?

Other skulls full of mush will be following up with requests for a photo of the American Flag that astronauts planted on Planet Why.

From the YouTube channel info:

We are not affiliated with NASA or any other space agency...."

Another click and subscribe. A survey of their videos by title shows the strategy.... NASA Space News

Titles include "Shocking!" "Surprise!" "Shocking Discovery!" "Finally!" My favorite title for some reason "We're Moving Toward Something Huge — And We Can't See It."

i have/had a very old map that showed a lot more planets than the usual.

With the discovery of Neptune in 1846, some wondered that there might be any number of planets two far and dim to ever be discovered. Pluto was a chance outlier, discovered almost by accident crossing the ecliptic in 1930. As more out solar system objects were found, the definition of planet was changed to exclude Pluto, and similar objects.

There was precedent. Ceres was discovered on January 1st, 1801, the first day of the 19th Century. 400 km in diameter, much smaller than the moon, or several of Jupiter’s moons, it was still relatively bright, and easily sighted. At first Ceres was designated a new planet, but when other asteroids in similar orbits turned up, starting with Vesta, a decision was made not to call these objects not visible to the naked eye “Planets”. (Galilieo recordered an observation of Neptune in 1612 and 161e, but he did not recognize it to be a planet.)

I suppose “planet y” will have to observed, and found not to be in resonance with Neptune, or any other planet to promoted to the rank of “planet”.

The one after that should be, Damnednearkilledum.

...”The Planet9 app has benn causing some major issues on my system.

For anyone who’s been having their system freeze up in the first couple of minute within booting up on the first boot, you might want to trying uninstalling the Planet9 app.

Hope this can help someone!”

this is from some kind of AcerNitro web site....I think...seems to me that we are now talking about TWO entirely different “Planet 9” entities.....

Lol!

The Webb telescope currently has the number of galaxies in the visible universe at 2 trillion and counting. So while I appreciate the news of a new planet, it isn’t exactly in the mind-boggling category.

It is where we get all of our radioactive shaving cream from.

Gated community.

Planet KY.

Welcome, Overlords of Y.

Hey what happened to X? Did they find it?

Hmm... Planet Y Shaving Cream... not much there...

For that matter, Planet P.

Considering Pluto is #9, this would be after #9.

--> YouTube-Generated Transcript <--
	·	Introduction
0:01	·	[Music]
0:04	·	Astronomers may have found evidence of a
0:07	·	new planet hiding in our solar system.
0:09	·	And it's not planet 9. A recent study
0:12	·	from Princeton University proposes the
0:15	·	existence of planet Y, a smaller, closer
0:18	·	world that could be subtly bending the
0:20	·	orbits of distant Kyper belt objects. If
0:23	·	proven, it would be the first new planet
0:26	·	added to our solar system since Neptune.
0:28	·	In this video, we'll explore what planet
0:31	·	Y is, why scientists think it might
0:34	·	exist, and what comes next in the search
0:36	·	for it. Let's get started.
	·	The Discovery
0:41	·	The idea of hidden planets isn't new.
0:44	·	For more than a century, astronomers
0:46	·	have speculated that unseen worlds
0:48	·	beyond Neptune could explain odd
0:50	·	movements among distant bodies. Pluto's
0:53	·	discovery in 1930 briefly satisfied that
0:56	·	curiosity, but as observations improved,
1:00	·	its small mass proved inadequate to
1:02	·	explain the remaining anomalies. Now,
1:05	·	new data suggests there could be more
1:07	·	out there. In August 2025,
1:11	·	Princeton astrophysicists Amir Siraj
1:14	·	along with Christopher Chiba and Scott
1:16	·	Tmaine published a peer-reviewed study
1:19	·	in monthly notices of the Royal
1:21	·	Astronomical Society proposing planet Y,
1:25	·	a hypothetical planet orbiting between
1:28	·	100 and 200 astronomical units AU from
1:32	·	the sun. The researchers analyzed the
1:35	·	orbits of more than 150 Kyper Belt
1:38	·	objects, Kbos.
1:40	·	After accounting for Neptune's
1:42	·	influence, they noticed something
1:44	·	unusual. The orbital planes of objects
1:47	·	between 80 and 200 astronomical units
1:50	·	are systematically tilted. This warp is
1:53	·	small but statistically significant,
1:55	·	hinting at the pole of a massive unseen
1:58	·	body. To explain it, the team modeled
2:01	·	multiple scenarios. gravitational
2:03	·	resonance among the KBOS, the Milky Ways
2:07	·	tidal influence, and past stellar
2:09	·	flybys. None could reproduce the
2:12	·	observed pattern as effectively as a
2:14	·	single orbiting planet. Their
2:17	·	calculations suggest a body 25 to 450
2:21	·	times the mass of Pluto, roughly between
2:24	·	Mercury and Mars in size, orbiting on a
2:27	·	path inclined 10 to 15° relative to the
2:30	·	solar systems main plane. That makes it
2:33	·	smaller and closer than the much
2:35	·	discussed planet 9, which is predicted
2:38	·	to be 5 to 10 Earth masses and roughly
2:41	·	600 astronomical units away. So far, no
2:45	·	telescope has directly seen planet Y.
2:48	·	The evidence is entirely gravitational,
2:50	·	a mathematical fingerprint written in
2:52	·	the Kyper belts architecture. Yet, this
2:55	·	pattern is precise enough that many
2:57	·	astronomers now view the hypothesis as a
3:00	·	credible, testable prediction rather
3:02	·	than speculation.
	·	Scientific Importance and Theories
3:09	·	If planet Y exists, it would challenge
3:11	·	the assumption that our solar systems
3:13	·	planetary family ends with Neptune. Its
3:16	·	presence would imply that the early
3:18	·	solar system produced more large bodies
3:20	·	than previously thought, some of which
3:23	·	survived on distant orbits. There are
3:25	·	three leading formation scenarios. One,
3:28	·	native survivor, a planet formed near
3:31	·	the giant planets and was scattered
3:33	·	outward during the solar systems chaotic
3:35	·	early evolution. Two, captured object, a
3:40	·	wandering interstellar planet that
3:41	·	passed close enough to the sun to be
3:44	·	gravitationally trapped. Three,
3:47	·	complement to planet 9, a smaller
3:49	·	companion that together with planet 9
3:52	·	shapes the Kyper belt structure. Each
3:55	·	explanation would add a new layer to
3:56	·	models of planetary formation and
3:59	·	migration. Planetwise predicted mass is
4:02	·	also scientifically significant. A body
4:05	·	with a fraction of Earth's mass at 100
4:08	·	to 200 astronomical units would have
4:11	·	enough gravity to clear its orbit. The
4:13	·	core requirement for official planet
4:15	·	status under the International
4:17	·	Astronomical Union's 2006 definition. At
4:21	·	roughly 50 times Pluto's mass, it would
4:24	·	easily qualify as a full planet, not a
4:26	·	dwarf one. Confirming such a world would
4:29	·	also refine our understanding of the
4:31	·	Kyper belt's dynamics. The belt is not
4:34	·	uniform. Its objects exhibit clustered
4:36	·	angles and inclinations that suggest an
4:39	·	external perturbing force. Planet Y
4:42	·	could provide a straightforward
4:44	·	gravitational explanation for this
4:45	·	pattern. Not all astronomers are
4:47	·	convinced. Some argue that the apparent
4:50	·	warp could emerge naturally from the
4:52	·	collective gravitational effects of many
4:54	·	smaller objects. Others point out that
4:57	·	small number statistics and
4:58	·	observational bias might exaggerate the
5:01	·	alignment. Nevertheless, the Princeton
5:03	·	model reproduces observed data with
5:06	·	fewer assumptions, keeping the
5:07	·	hypothesis scientifically persuasive. If
5:11	·	real, planet Y would fill an important
5:14	·	missing link, showing that planetary
5:16	·	formation continues smoothly into the
5:18	·	outer regions rather than stopping
5:21	·	abruptly after Neptune. In broader
5:23	·	terms, it would remind us that even
5:26	·	within our own solar system, much
5:28	·	remains undiscovered.
	·	Implications and What’s Next
5:34	·	[Music]
5:36	·	The key test for planet Y will come from
5:38	·	observation. The Vera Rubin Observatory
5:41	·	in Chile, set to begin full operations
5:43	·	soon, is designed for this exact kind of
5:46	·	search. Its legacy survey of space and
5:48	·	time, LSST, will image the entire
5:52	·	southern sky every few nights, capturing
5:54	·	faint, slowmoving objects at the fringes
5:57	·	of the solar system. At 100 to 200
6:00	·	astronomical units, Planet Y would be
6:03	·	extremely dim, perhaps a million times
6:06	·	fainter than what the naked eye can see.
6:09	·	and moving only a few arcsec.
6:12	·	But LSST's repeated scans and powerful
6:15	·	data processing algorithms could reveal
6:18	·	its motion over months or years. If
6:20	·	planet Y exists, LSST might detect it
6:24	·	directly or indirectly through improved
6:26	·	mapping of distant Kbos whose orbits
6:29	·	betray its gravitational tug. In either
6:32	·	case, the data collected within the next
6:34	·	few years should decisively confirm or
6:37	·	reject the hypothesis. Should the planet
6:39	·	be found, the implications are profound.
6:42	·	It would represent the first new planet
6:44	·	discovered in nearly two centuries and
6:47	·	confirm that our solar system extends
6:49	·	much farther and with greater complexity
6:51	·	than previously imagined. It could
6:53	·	explain why certain long period comets
6:56	·	approach the sun from odd directions.
6:58	·	and it would add a new data point for
7:00	·	studying how planetary systems form and
7:03	·	evolve elsewhere in the galaxy. The
7:06	·	discovery would also settle an ongoing
7:08	·	public debate about what defines a
7:10	·	planet. Pluto was reclassified as a
7:13	·	dwarf planet because it hadn't cleared
7:15	·	its orbit. A Mars mass world at 100
7:19	·	astronomical units would have no such
7:22	·	problem satisfying every criterion of
7:24	·	planet hood and restoring some symmetry
7:27	·	to the solar systems outer architecture.
7:30	·	If however the LSST finds no trace of
7:35	·	planet Y, the outcome remains valuable.
7:38	·	Astronomers would re-evaluate the
7:40	·	dynamics of the Kyper belt, perhaps
7:42	·	attributing its warp to distributed mass
7:44	·	effects or past stellar encounters. The
7:47	·	search itself will yield thousands of
7:49	·	new minor body discoveries, refining our
7:52	·	map of the solar systems edge. Looking
7:55	·	ahead, planet Y has already sparked
7:58	·	discussions about future deep space
8:00	·	missions. With advancements in
8:02	·	propulsion, future probes might travel
8:05	·	beyond Neptune to directly survey these
8:07	·	distant realms, whether or not a hidden
8:10	·	planet awaits there. The broader
8:12	·	takeaway is that science progresses
8:15	·	through investigation, not certainty.
8:17	·	Each anomaly drives inquiry, and even a
8:20	·	null result pushes knowledge forward.
	·	Outro
8:29	·	Planet Y remains unconfirmed, but the
8:32	·	search continues. Whether it exists or
8:34	·	not, the investigation expands our
8:37	·	understanding of the solar systems edge.
8:39	·	Sometimes the pursuit of discovery
8:41	·	reveals as much as discovery itself.
	·	Enjoy
9:40	·	[Music]