Tag

Planet Nine

All articles tagged with #planet nine

science3 days ago•4 min saved

Infrared Archives Yield First Tangible Candidate for Planet Nine

Astronomers have identified a potential observational candidate for the hypothetical Planet Nine by analyzing decades-old infrared data. Terry Long Phan and colleagues compared surveys from the 1983 IRAS satellite and the 2006-2007 AKARI mission. After filtering millions of sources, they isolated one object that shifted 47.5 arcminutes over 23 years, consistent with a massive body located 500 to 700 astronomical units from the Sun. While not a definitive discovery, this faint point offers the first tangible target for follow-up observations.

via ZME Science|

#akari-satellite #infrared-astronomy #planet-nine

science5 days ago•1 min saved

Infrared Archives Yield First Potential Trace of Planet Nine

Astronomer Terry Long Phan identified a potential candidate for Planet Nine by analyzing 23-year gaps in infrared data from the IRAS and AKARI satellites. The object, which shifted 47.5 arcminutes, matches the predicted size and distance of a hypothetical ninth planet. While this is the first observational hint, confirmation requires follow-up observations to determine its exact orbit.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#astronomy #infrared-astronomy #iras

space25 days ago•12 min saved

Planet Nine Could Be Big Yet Hidden in a Deep Cosmic Dimness

Planet Nine, if it exists, could have several Earth masses and be over twice Earth’s diameter, but at hundreds of AU from the Sun it would reflect so little light that its brightness would be extraordinarily faint and often vanish into the background. The light that does reach Earth must travel outward and back, so the overall reflected flux drops roughly with the inverse fourth power of distance, making even a relatively large planet extremely hard to spot with current surveys. Ongoing searches, including the Rubin Observatory’s LSST, aim to detect it or tighten where it could lie; however, non-detection so far does not rule out a distant, faint world.

via Space Daily|

#astronomy #kuiper-belt #planet-nine

space26 days ago•137 min saved

Planet Nine’s case gains momentum as data hints at a hidden world

Astronomers ongoingly explore a hypothetical ninth planet, Planet Nine. Proponents Batygin and Brown argue a Neptune-mass world beyond Neptune could explain unusual clustering of distant objects; recent 2024 findings strengthen the case that Planet Nine helps account for observed orbital patterns, though no direct detection has been made. The Rubin Observatory and similar facilities may soon provide the crucial observations needed, while debates over Pluto’s status and earlier Planet X ideas frame the evolving search at the solar system’s edge.

via Space|

#batygin #brown #planet-nine

space1 month ago•11 min saved

One fleeting glimpse beyond Pluto hints at a hidden outer-solar-system population

Astronomers identified 2017 OF201, a ~700-km dwarf-planet candidate in a 24,000–25,000-year orbit, currently about 90 AU from the Sun with a perihelion near 45 AU and an aphelion near 1,600 AU. It was discovered by linking faint archival observations across two decades, meaning it is visible for only about 0.5% of its orbit. This narrow window implies there could be hundreds more similar bodies hidden in the outer solar system, highlighting census biases that only count objects bright near perihelion. While 2017 OF201 is not proof of Planet Nine, the work constrains models and shows how archival data can reveal distant worlds long after observations were made. The object's size is inferred from brightness assuming an albedo and may be rounded; its exact shape awaits future data.

via Space Daily|

#archival-data #dwarf-planet-candidate #outer-solar-system

science2 months ago•11 min saved

Beyond Neptune: the Sun's dominance reveals a vast, mostly empty solar system

The Sun accounts for about 99.86% of the solar system’s mass, so gravity is dominated by a single star while the rest is mostly empty space; the solar boundary extends far beyond Neptune to the heliopause (~120 AU), where Voyager 1 entered interstellar space in 2012 and Voyager 2 followed in 2018. Beyond lies the distant, inferred Oort Cloud that may reach up to a couple of light-years, while Planet Nine remains a hypothesis not yet confirmed.

via Space Daily|

#heliopause #oort-cloud #planet-nine

space3 months ago•8 min saved

Planet Nine Debate Persists as New Distant-World Detections Complicate the Search

The article reviews renewed evidence and ongoing controversy over Planet Nine, noting that irregular orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects and new distant bodies like 2023 KQ14 have kept the hypothesis viable but unproven. Long orbital periods and limited data mean there is no definitive detection yet; if a ninth planet exists, it would likely lie farther than ~500 AU. Ongoing ground- and space-based observations—and future missions—are needed to clarify whether a massive unseen planet shapes these orbits.

via SciTechDaily|

#kuiper-belt #outer-solar-system #planet-nine

science9 months ago•4 min saved

Scientists Reinstate the Nine-Planet Model Amid Evidence of a Hidden Planet

Astronomers have found preliminary evidence of a potential ninth planet in our solar system, based on infrared data from decades-old sky surveys indicating a distant, Neptune-sized object beyond the Kuiper Belt. Further observations are needed to confirm its existence and orbit, which could explain gravitational anomalies observed in the Kuiper Belt. The discovery, if verified, would add a new ice giant to our solar system, similar in composition to Uranus and Neptune.

via Indian Defence Review|

#distant-planet #infrared-surveys #kuiper-belt

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Astronomers Find Mysterious Object That Could Rewrite Solar System History

Astronomers have discovered a new distant object, 2023 KQ14, or Ammonite, which challenges existing models of the solar system's outer regions and provides new clues in the search for a potential hidden planet, possibly Planet Nine, by analyzing its unique orbit far beyond Neptune.

via Earth.com|

#2023-kq14 #astronomy #planet-nine

science1 year ago•7 min saved

Top 7 Space Mysteries Scientists Are Eager to Uncover

The article explores seven perplexing space mysteries, including the Hubble tension, fast radio bursts, dark matter, a unique gamma-ray burst, Hoag's Object galaxy, the potential existence of Planet Nine, and the vast unknowns of the universe, highlighting ongoing questions and the pursuit of scientific answers.

via ScienceAlert|

#dark-matter #fast-radio-bursts #hubble-tension

science1 year ago•4 min saved

NASA's James Webb Telescope and the Search for a Hidden Ninth Planet

Scientists hypothesize the existence of a ninth planet, called Planet Nine, based on unusual clustering of Kuiper Belt objects and computer simulations suggesting a large, distant gas giant with an orbit 20-30 times farther from the sun than Neptune. However, its existence remains unconfirmed and controversial, with ongoing debates and challenges in observation.

via yahoo.com|

#astronomy #kuiper-belt #planet-nine

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Astronomers Detect Signs of a Hidden Ninth Planet in the Outer Solar System

Astronomers have identified a potential candidate for Planet Nine beyond Neptune using archival satellite data, sparking excitement and skepticism. The discovery's confirmation depends on future observations, particularly from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which could either verify or refute the existence of this elusive planet, potentially reshaping our understanding of the solar system.

via Rude Baguette|

#astronomy #kuiper-belt #planet-nine

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Astronomers Detect Potential Ninth Planet Beyond Neptune

Astronomers have identified a promising candidate for the elusive Planet Nine using archival satellite data, sparking excitement and skepticism. While some believe this could be the long-sought planet beyond Neptune, others, like Mike Brown, question its orbit alignment. The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to provide definitive evidence to confirm or refute its existence.

via Rude Baguette|

#astronomy #kuiper-belt #planet-nine

history1 year ago•6 min saved

12 Historical Discoveries That Began as Rumors and Were Proven True

This article highlights 12 significant historical discoveries that changed our understanding of the past, including the asteroid impact that caused the dinosaurs' extinction, the discovery of the Terracotta Army, confirmation of meteorites from space, the Viking settlement in North America, and the potential existence of a ninth planet beyond Neptune.

via BuzzFeed|

#archaeology #dinosaurs #history

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Mysterious Solar System Object Reveals New Celestial Insights

Scientists continue to investigate the possibility of a massive undiscovered planet beyond Neptune, known as Planet Nine, which could explain the irregular orbits of Kuiper Belt objects. While evidence has grown, challenges remain due to limited observations and new discoveries of stable distant objects that suggest such a planet might be farther than initially thought. Ongoing observations and future technology will be crucial in confirming or refuting its existence.

via ScienceAlert|

#astronomy #dwarf-planets #kuiper-belt