Produced by: BT Desk Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Planet Nine, a massive icy world, may be lurking at the outer edge of our solar system, awaiting discovery by advanced telescopes. "It's really difficult to explain the solar system without Planet Nine," says Caltech astronomer Mike Brown.
Despite predictions, Planet Nine remains elusive, but a powerful new telescope set to launch soon could finally reveal its location. Brown adds, "There's no way to be 100% sure [it exists] until you see it."
The unusual orbits of trans-Neptunian objects suggest a hidden planet, with gravitational forces hinting at something massive beyond Neptune. "Planet Nine's pull is hard to ignore," Brown notes.
Astronomers have observed strange kinks in the orbits of objects far beyond Neptune, pointing toward the possible existence of Planet Nine. "These orbits don’t make sense without Planet Nine," says Brown.
The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to finally end the search for Planet Nine by either finding it or ruling it out for good. "We can't be sure until we see it," Brown emphasizes.
If Planet Nine exists, it could be seven times more massive than Earth and have an orbit so distant that it takes thousands of years to circle the sun. "The numbers suggest a huge hidden world," says Brown.
The existence of Planet Nine could rewrite our understanding of the solar system's formation and evolution, revealing long-hidden secrets. "It’s difficult to imagine the solar system without it," says Brown.
With a likely orbit 500 times farther from the sun than Earth, Planet Nine could be hiding in the far reaches of the solar system. "It's out there, but far away," says Brown.
Astronomers are racing to locate Planet Nine before skepticism grows, with upcoming powerful telescopes expected to provide definitive answers. "Until we see it, we can't be sure," Brown cautions.