SCIENTISTS say they have discovered new evidence supporting the existence of a hidden planet within our solar system.
For years, astronomers have proposed that peculiar phenomena occurring at the outer limits of our solar system could be elucidated by the presence of an additional, yet-to-be-discovered planet.
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This hypothesis helps explain the orbital patterns of celestial objects located at distances that far exceed our proximity to the Sun by more than 250 times.
Konstantin Batygin, an astronomer who played a role in popularizing this theory, now says that he and his research team have discovered more evidence that reinforces the plausibility of the existence of such a planet.
According to Batygin, this new research presents “the strongest statistical evidence that Planet 9 is really out there.”
In this recent study, scientists focused on a group of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), denoting those entities positioned on the outer fringes of the solar system, beyond Neptune.
His research focused on TNOs whose trajectories become destabilized due to interactions with Neptune’s orbit.
The inherent instability of these objects made their behavior more complex, leading astronomers to exclude them from analyzes of the potential presence of Planet Nine.
Instead of discounting these objects, researchers focused on deciphering their orbital dynamics.
Batygin said the most plausible explanation for its behavior is the presence of another yet-to-be-discovered planet.
The team ran numerous simulations to analyze how various factors, such as the gravitational influence of neighboring giant planets like Neptune, the “galactic tide” emanating from the Milky Way, and the gravitational pull of passing stars, affected the orbits of these objects.
Dr. Batygin stated that the most convincing explanation emerged from the model that incorporates Planet Nine.
While acknowledging alternative explanations for the behavior of these objects, such as the hypothesis that other planets previously influenced their orbits before being ejected, the team maintains that the Planet Nine theory remains the most convincing.
A clearer understanding of the existence or absence of Planet Nine is anticipated with the activation of the Vera C Rubin Observatory.
Currently under construction in Chile, this observatory will scan the sky to observe the behavior of these distant objects once operational.
“This next phase of exploration promises to provide critical insights into the mysteries of the far reaches of our solar system,” the team wrote.
The researchers express their anticipation for the upcoming studies and emphasize that many of the estimates and assumptions made in this analysis can be closely examined once we have access to higher resolution images of deep space.
It’s worth noting, according to the team’s calculations, that a planet that shared Planet Nine’s expected characteristics would still be relatively tiny, with a mass just five times that of Earth and located at a distance approximately 500 times farther away. of the Sun than the Earth.
Considering that Pluto’s distance from the Sun is only 40 times greater than that of Earth, detecting such a planet would be extremely challenging, requiring simulations of detectable celestial bodies to infer its existence.
“In addition to comparing with existing observations, the findings presented here offer a series of testable predictions, providing potential for resolution in the near future,” the researchers say.
The research has been accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters and is available to read on the preprint server arXiv.
What is a dwarf planet?
Here’s what you need to know…
- According to scientists, a space object must meet three requirements before it can be classified as a planet.
- The first is that it must orbit the Sun.
- The second is that it is large enough – and generates enough gravity – to assume a spherical shape.
- The third is that it must have “cleared the neighborhood” of its orbit, meaning that its gravity swept away any other similar objects.
- Dwarf planets find the first two, but not the third.
- There are six known dwarf planets in our Solar System. The most famous is Pluto.
- It was considered a complete planet for decades before scientists reclassified it in 2006.
- The other five are: Ceres, Eris, Makemake, Haumea and Hygiea.
- Of these, only Ceres and Hygia are closer to the Sun than Neptune. They are in the asteroid belt.
HYPOTHETICAL PLANET NINE
Planet Nine is a theoretical ninth celestial body that supposedly exists in the outer reaches of the Solar System.
Its gravitational influence aims to explain the anomalous alignment of orbits observed between a subset of extreme trans-Neptunian objects (ETNOs), celestial bodies located beyond Neptune that orbit the Sun at distances on average 250 times greater than that of Earth.
These ETNOs exhibit a tendency to come closer to the Sun within a specific region, while sharing similarly inclined orbits.
These orbital patterns suggest the potential presence of an as-yet unidentified planet, which may be responsible for guiding the trajectories of these entities distant from the Solar System.
However, some astronomers dispute this hypothesis, arguing instead that the observed clustering of ETNO orbits arises from inherent observational biases, which arise due to the challenges associated with detecting and tracking these objects throughout much of the year.
Based on previous considerations, it was initially speculated that this theoretical super-Earth-sized planet had a predicted mass ranging from five to ten times that of Earth, orbiting at a distance from the Sun between 400 and 800 times greater than the Earth’s orbit. from the earth.
The estimate of its orbit was later refined in 2021.
Batygin and Michael Brown proposed that Planet Nine could be the remnant core of a colossal planet ejected from its original orbit by Jupiter during the formation of the Solar System.
Alternatively, other theories suggest that it may have been captured from another star, originated as a rogue planet, or formed in a distant orbit before being drawn into an eccentric path by the gravitational pull of a passing star.
Despite the lack of detection by sky surveys such as the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and Pan-STARRS, the potential existence of a Neptune-sized object in the outer reaches of the Solar System has not been definitively ruled out.
The effectiveness of these previous searches in detecting Planet Nine depended on its hypothetical location and characteristics.
Ongoing surveys of unexplored regions utilize instruments such as NEOWISE and the 8-meter Subaru Telescope.
However, until direct observation confirms its presence, Planet Nine’s existence remains purely speculative.
Numerous alternative hypotheses have been proposed to explain the observed clustering of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs).
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
