Simran Joshi
It’s nearly a decade since scientists are infatuated with the enigma that is Planet Nine, an unconfirmed hypothetical planet hidden in the farthest reaches of our solar system.
Where scientists trace gravitational anomalies and unusual patterns of orbits in the Kuiper Belt-a distant area from beyond Neptune, filled with icy bodies and dwarf planets-this undiscovered planet could be causing some sort of influence upon the surrounding objects.
In spite of skeptics, still raising doubts about its existence, recent studies suggest that it may be the most confirmed hypothesis of its existence, suggesting the presence of a hidden “super-Earth” or “super-Pluto” within this deep region.
With NASA’s new advanced telescope set to scan the skies by 2025, astronomers are optimistic that the mystery behind Planet Nine will soon be solved and may open tremendous possibilities for transforming our perception of the structure and history of the Solar System.
Evidence and Challenges: The Search for Planet Nine
Scientists have long hypothesized about a mysterious, hidden ninth planet in our solar system for decades. Researchers who have focused observations on the gravitational anomalies and unusual orbits in the Kuiper Belt say that some large, unseen planet is making those distant objects stray from their course.
In recent years, a growing body of data has amplified the case for the elusive Planet Nine. To this, NASA has been developing an advanced telescope to be completed by the end of 2025. This will be able to scan the entire night sky. This new tool is likely to prove either existence or non-existence of Planet Nine, possibly bringing to an end years of theories.
The latest research suggests that if it is a thing, it is likely that it is hiding in the Kuiper Belt, and mass was underestimated to be less: around 1.5-3 Earth masses.
Such a large mass may enable some theorists to believe that significant amounts of internal energy are retained within to facilitate subsurface oceans – an exciting concept whereby conditions on another planet must provide. But its composition is still unknown; it could be a bit of an icy, rocky world or a “super-Pluto.” Its rather eccentric and highly inclined orbit puts it well beyond Neptune, making detection especially tough.
Alternative Theories: Primordial Black Hole and Gravitational Anomalies
Not everyone believes a ninth planet best explains anomalies within the Kuiper Belt. Some put forward that these weird orbits must be caused by a primordial black hole: an artifact left over from the early life of the universe.
An old black hole, caught up in the solar system as it wandered across the galaxy, was influencing the orbits of trans-Neptunian objects. Such a concept is pretty far out; however, it could explain the eccentric orbit clustering without the need for a planet: the gravitational effects of a black hole.
Since Neptune was discovered in 1846, astronomers have hypothesized about numerous trans-Neptunian objects to explain anomalies in gravity.
Most have been ruled out as time went on, and scientists have been rightly hesitant going into the hunt for Planet Nine. Still, astronomers like Konstantin Batygin and Michael Brown believe that the gravitational effects they have seen likely point to a super-Earth or something similar in size. Further research may soon reveal, through new observations provided by improved telescopes, whether the ninth planet exists-or if something else is shaping the edges of our system.
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