Exciting news from the depths of our galaxy: a new world could be hanging out beyond Neptune, potentially lending some credence to the long-suspected theory of ‘Planet X’.
In the Kuiper Belt, scientists have spotted what might be a smaller cosmic body that could qualify as the elusive ninth planet of our solar system!
If this discovery holds up, it would make it the ninth planet following Pluto’s reclassification as a dwarf planet.
The planet, which researchers have affectionately named ‘Ammonite’, was discovered using the powerful Subaru Telescope at Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory. Their findings made a splash in Nature Astronomy.
According to experts, Ammonite has likely been cruising in a stable orbit for over 4 billion years.
The National Observatory’s announcement suggests, “If Planet Nine is out there, it should be even further from the Sun than we originally thought.”
Moreover, if Planet Nine exists, it has to explain why Ammonite’s orbit doesn’t jive with other nearby cosmic objects.
Earlier this year, at the end of May, astronomers looking for Planet Nine—a proposed planetary body that could shake up our understanding of the solar system—made a notable discovery.
They trailed down a possible Planet X, theorized to be about seven times the mass of Earth and speculated to reside just beyond Pluto. This planet, if it exists, might even be the fifth-largest one out there! Unfortunately, the search has been like chasing a mythical sea creature, leaving scientists still in the dark about its existence.
A trio of American astronomers, while on the hunt for this mysterious giant, instead stumbled upon a dwarf planet named 2017 OF201.
So, What’s the Deal with Planet Nine?
People have been on the lookout for a ninth planet in our solar system for a century now.
Those hunting for Planet Nine point to intriguing evidence, like the discovery of six icy and dwarf globes that hang out in the distant reaches of our solar system.
Curiously, a few of these objects orbit together, hinting that maybe something massive is influencing them, like a humongous gas planet. According to astronomer Imo Bell from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, they believe verifying this planet exists could clarify the odd motions of various other celestial bodies in that region.
It’s speculated that Planet Nine could weigh in at about five Earths and is essential for understanding the unique orbits of other distant objects.
A dwarf planet is essentially a big enough chunk of space rock that its gravity shapes it into a round form, but it’s not hefty enough to dominate its orbital neighborhood.
A recent study (still awaiting peer review) suggests 2017 OF201 is around 430 miles wide, making it about three times smaller than Pluto.
This object is classified as an extreme trans-Neptunian object (eTNO), meaning it orbits the Sun way out beyond Neptune.
So far out, in fact, OF201 takes a whopping 25,000 Earth years to complete one revolution around the Sun! Its orbit even dips into the Oort Cloud, a realm packed with icy comets that are a trillion miles away from the Sun.
Interestingly, OF201 is visible from Earth only 0.5% of the time, last getting close to us in 1930, and it won’t be back until the year 26,186.
Last week, the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center officially added 2017 OF201 to its growing list—joining a select gang of five other recognized dwarf planets: Pluto, Eris, Ceres, Haumea, and Makemake.
