Astronomers believe that our solar system may still hold surprises, with ongoing efforts to find a hidden ninth planet, often referred to as Planet Nine or Planet X. If confirmed, this discovery could reshape the understanding of planetary systems, according to CNN.
The search began in 2014 when astronomers Scott Sheppard and Chadwick Trujillo noticed unusual patterns in the orbits of several objects beyond Neptune. These icy bodies in the Kuiper Belt seemed to be influenced by an unseen massive planet.
The Kuiper Belt, a vast region of icy objects left over from the solar system’s formation, extends far beyond Neptune and is home to Pluto and other dwarf planets.
Astronomers believe that Planet Nine could be 5-7 times the size of Earth and situated more than 200 times farther from the sun than our planet. It is believed to orbit the Sun in 10,000 to 20,000 years.
Its presence is inferred from the behaviour of nearby objects even though it has never been directly observed.
Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown, professors of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology, are leading the search for this mysterious planet.
Brown, famously known for his role in Pluto’s reclassification as a dwarf planet, has said that finding Planet Nine would be a major breakthrough. He and Batygin have been working on the theory since 2014, inspired by Sheppard and Trujillo’s findings.
“I never thought I would be talking about how there’s evidence for a trans-Neptunian planet, but I believe that unlike all of those previous times, in this case, we’re actually right," CNN quoted Brown as saying.
The search has faced scepticism. As per Malena Rice, a professor of astronomy at Yale University, there are debates within the scientific community. While some researchers are convinced of Planet Nine’s existence, others remain doubtful. They believe many predictions of trans-Neptunian planets have failed in the past.
“There are lots of other ideas, but I usually try to go with Occam’s razor when it comes to deciding what to prioritize in terms of checking," Rice said.