Lurking on the Outskirts of Our Solar System
In January, astronomers in California predicted the existence of a ninth planet in our solar system.
Since the announcement, scientists have been trying to discover more about the mysterious world, also known as ‘Planet X’
Theories range from how it might have been an exoplanet stolen by our sun to how it could have wiped out the dinosaurs.
Some have even suggested it may be on a collision course with Earth.
Professor Andrew Coates, deputy director at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, UCL, lays down exactly what we do know about this mysterious world and when we might discover it, in an article for The Conversation.
Ever since a study suggested that a ‘Planet Nine’ could be lurking in the outskirts of our solar system, astronomers have been busy trying to pin it down.
As star formation regions are relatively dense with stars – the sun was born in a cluster with perhaps 1,000 other stars – these can indeed interact.
While this is entirely possible, the research assumes that Neptune-sized objects were relatively common in this region – something we simply don’t know.
The study also suggest that further observations and modelling of the positions and orbits of minor objects in the solar system beyond Neptune now may provide further clues as to the origin of the proposed Planet Nine – whether this is core expulsion as originally proposed or exoplanet capture.
At the moment, the lack of direct observations of Planet Nine and the whole range of objects which may be affected by it mean that the explanations are poorly constrained.
In the meantime, this kind of work provides interesting ideas – but ultimately we need proof.
Excitingly, if it does exist and turns out to be a captured exoplanet, it is likely to be our best bet for visiting an exoplanet in the near future.
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