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Caltech Astronomers Say a Ninth Planet Lurks Beyond Pluto (sciencemag.org)
sciencehabit writes: The solar system may have a new ninth planet. Today, two scientists announced evidence that a body nearly the size of Neptune — but as yet unseen — orbits the sun every 15,000 years. During the solar system's infancy 4.5 billion years ago, they say, the giant planet was knocked out of the planet-forming region near the sun. Slowed down by gas, the planet settled into a distant elliptical orbit, where it still lurks today.
Here's a link to the full academic paper published in The Astronomical Journal.
To tell us how this planet oscillates the chemtrails so the 911 nuclear aliens can open up communications with the illuminati and space lizards to bring on the new world order and force us into fema camps.
Ninth. If you RTFA you'll see that the paths of many of the other semi-small dwarf planets were used to intuit the existence of a real ninth planet.
...and here comes Nibiru?
Hint: +1 Funny
Again, from TFA, we could perform a narrow infrared scan of the possible path until we find it. (We just did one ruling out "Saturn-sized" objects nearby, but this planet is smaller.) The authors expect discovery and confirmation within about 5 years.
Not really. There's going to be some very powerful telescopes involved in survey work coming online over the course of the next decade that should dramatically increase our detection capability. My favorite is the LSST which should, for example, move from our current knowledge of about 1% of 100km+ KBOs to nearly 100%. And one can expect even more powerful telescopes in the decades after that.
Next decade, whenever anything is detected, we'll also have James Webb to get a better look at it.
What the hells goin on in the engine room? Were there monkeys? Some terrifying space monkeys maybe got loose?
Step 1: Rename Pluto
Step 2: Name the new planet Pluto
Step 3: Profit!
Please read TFA and consider it a good example of how to write something informative, accessible and entertaining, but most importantly not hosted on forbes.
Next decade, whenever anything is detected, we'll also have James Webb to get a better look at it.
If we're lucky, James will bring his telescope. :-)
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
This finally explains all the times my horoscope wasn't entirely accurate. With this new input, I'm sure that I will be able to use my horoscope to see what the stars have for me and I will be able to intelligently make life-decisions knowing how they are arranged.
N.B. - I started the above in jest, but let's observe a moment of silence for the poor folks who actually feel that way.
A computer model that predicts the existence of a ninth planet (of substantial mass, ejected into a distant orbit, early in the solar system) does not, by the usual scientific method, constitute evidence. Evidence of its existence would be certain observables that others could also observe and verify: perturbations in the orbits of other planets, detection in a telescope, etc.
This is a prediction by a hypothesis - nothing more. I could create a model that predicts the existence of dragons that fart nerve gas - that does not count as "evidence of an impending apocalypse," although that would surely generate many clicks.
Let's hope we get to observe it before the Vogon constructor fleet arrives.
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
It IS Planet Nine from outer space.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
Well, that escalated quickly...
Article was poorly written- I would think those are the authors bold claims. The scientists claim to have found nothing. "I would love to find it," says Brown. "But I'd also be perfectly happy if someone else found it. That is why we're publishing this paper. We hope that other people are going to get inspired and start searching." - See more at: http://www.caltech.edu/news/ca...
love is just extroverted narcissism
Space Cruiser Yamato (AKA Star Blazers in the USA), not only predicted Pluto's moon, but also a 10th planet -- I think it was called Brumus in 2nd Season (Comet Empire).
Can't remember too much because it was more than 20 years since I saw the show, but so far, their space science is more true than any other TV show I can think of.
If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
Its perihelion is over 1100 AU. Sedna was discovered at 90AU. Wee bit of a difference there. Also, the degree of the solar system we've searched varies greatly in detection ability, some areas much better studied than others. It's estimated that we've only found about 1% of KBOs larger than 100km.
What the hells goin on in the engine room? Were there monkeys? Some terrifying space monkeys maybe got loose?
Lies, you and I both know they read that and said "Theyz cumming 2 take er jerbs"
An interesting thought. Even at its perihelion (1100 AU), helium won't be getting cold enough to condense out. But hydrogen probably will, condensing to planetwide hydrogen seas. Meaning that - combined with its lower mass - its atmospheric density at perihelion on top of that is probably surprisingly low. However, at aphelion its only about 400AU. That's probably not cold enough to condense hydrogen. So every 15000 years it would go from having hydrogen oceans and low atmospheric pressure to an ice surface under crazy pressures.
What the heck do you call a planet like that?
Such a large planet would certainly have the internal heat for tectonics and volcanism. But I'm still so baffled from trying to picture what such a planet would be like just from that first aspect that I can't even begin to imagine what effect the latter would have on it.
Certainly a lot of energy in play here.
What the hells goin on in the engine room? Were there monkeys? Some terrifying space monkeys maybe got loose?
This is what makes me think they're estimating the amount of matter in the universe incorrectly when it comes to the dark matter mathematical discrepancy. They can't even count our own planets correctly. I know the dark matter one is like 10:1 compared to visible light estimates but still, this really outlines how perpetually wrong astronomers are about everything.
You wouldn't say that if you cared about the children!!
If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
Imagine if, by ASTRONOMICAL coincidence, New Horizons could do a fly by in a few decades... the conspiracy theorists would go nuts.
Come to think of it, maybe I'd join them.
Don't get Kepler to do it. He'll just sweep out the same area every night.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
Since we're on the subject of the Solar System a relatively rare phenomenon is occurring Jan. 20 to Feb. 20. All five of the easily visible planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) are visible together in the early morning sky. The last time that occurred was Dec./Jan. 2004/2005. They will be visible together again Aug. 13 to 19 but will be more easily seen in the Southern Hemisphere because Mercury and Venus will be difficult to see in the dusk sky.