Astronomers have spotted a possible new ninth planet lurking far beyond Neptune. This discovery comes from analyzing historical sky surveys, primarily using infrared data spanning over two decades. The object appears to be about the size of Neptune and could take thousands of years to orbit the Sun.
Previous research hinted at a significant body in the outer solar system, partly due to anomalies in the orbits of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs). These strange patterns hinted at the gravitational pull of an undetected planet, and this latest finding aligns with those theories.
The team at National Central University in Taiwan examined data from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) and Japan’s AKARI mission. By comparing the cold, faint signals captured in 1983 and 2006, they detected consistent movement from the object, strongly suggesting it has an orbital path around the Sun. Estimates put its distance between 46.5 and 65.1 billion miles from the Sun.
If confirmed, this candidate planet would belong to the ice giant category, weighing between seven and seventeen times Earth’s mass. Its chilly recipe includes temperatures ranging from –370°F to –360°F, which would make it faint and hard to spot with regular telescopes.
These results are shared in the *Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia*, with a preprint available on arXiv. The findings propose a viable candidate for “Planet Nine,” a hypothetical body theorized to explain the unusual clustering of distant celestial objects.
The Kuiper Belt, where this mysterious object resides, is a vast area beyond Neptune filled with icy bodies. For years, astronomers have observed odd movements among these KBOs that suggest they are being influenced by a large unseen force. In 2016, a model from Caltech proposed a planet ten times Earth’s mass could be responsible for these movements, further fueling interest in the possibility of a ninth planet.
The potential new planet’s characteristics are similar to known ice giants like Uranus and Neptune. These planets are composed of hydrogen, helium, and methane, with icy cores that formed in the cold distant reaches of the solar system. Detecting objects like this is tough because their extreme distance makes them faint. Hence, infrared telescopes are crucial for studying such celestial bodies.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is currently conducting important research on Uranus and Neptune, providing valuable data that may help in confirming this new find. By examining the atmospheric compositions of these planets, researchers can refine their criteria for spotting similar distant worlds.
However, while the discovery is intriguing, scientists stress the need for further observations. The object was only detected in two image sets, separated by 23 years. More data is vital to track its movement and confirm whether it follows a stable orbit typical of a planet. If it does, we might be looking at a significant new addition to our solar system. If not, it could be a more distant background source.
Interestingly, recent advances in exoplanet research show that Neptune-sized planets are common in other star systems. This highlights that similar cold, slow-moving planets could exist in our solar system as well, waiting to be uncovered.
As we continue exploring, this mysterious candidate could reshape our understanding of the solar system. Scientists remain cautiously optimistic, ready to investigate this intriguing new prospect further.
