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Astronomers Say There Could Be At Least Two More Mystery Planets In Our Solar System (sciencealert.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the hide-and-seek dept.

schwit1 quotes a report from ScienceAlert: A team of astronomers has performed new calculations on the data that originally gave rise to the Planet Nine hypothesis, and these new numbers suggest that the hypothetical extra planet might not be alone -- there could be multiple planets hiding at the edge of our Solar System that we've yet to discover. If the researchers are correct -- which nobody knows for sure right now -- it could really mean a do-over for the high school textbooks. The scientists estimate that Planet Nine is 10 times more massive than Earth, and think it performs an extremely elongated orbit of the Sun, that takes between 10,000 and 20,000 years to complete. The Caltech researchers based their hypothesis for the existence of Planet Nine on the unusual movement of six large objects floating in the Kuiper belt, suggesting that their orbits are being shaped by a hidden planet.

84 comments

  1. Distance? by invictusvoyd · · Score: 4, Interesting

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    1. Re:Distance? by buchner.johannes · · Score: 1

      ... is just numerology. Fails for Neptune and exoplanets.

      --
      NB: The message above might reflect my opinion right now, but not necessarily tomorrow or next year.
  2. So there would be 11 then? by EzInKy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Pluto. That is what I learned. A couple more would be dandy!!

    --
    Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
    1. Re:So there would be 11 then? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 5, Funny

      Most solar systems only go up to 10 . . . but ours goes up to 11!

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    2. Re:So there would be 11 then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When I was a kid they made us learn the names of all the objects in the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud, as well as their capitals. Uphill, both ways!

    3. Re:So there would be 11 then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Speaking of Uranus,

      A Muslim walks into a gay bar and says to the bartender "Shots for everyone!"

    4. Re:So there would be 11 then? by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Same here. Luckily, only three had been discovered then.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    5. Re:So there would be 11 then? by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

      The odds are astronomical.

    6. Re:So there would be 11 then? by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 2

      It's not Planet 10! It's Planet X!!!!

      --

      Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.

    7. Re:So there would be 11 then? by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

      Ours is one louder!

    8. Re:So there would be 11 then? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 2

      Two suns, my friend, two suns.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    9. Re:So there would be 11 then? by stinkyjak · · Score: 0

      Nibiru is coming! XD

    10. Re:So there would be 11 then? by plopez · · Score: 1

      Mother very easily made a jam sandwich using no peanu tbutter mayonaisse or glue

      --
      putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
    11. Re: So there would be 11 then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When i was a kid there was no kuiper belt or oort cloud.

    12. Re:So there would be 11 then? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not Planet 10! It's Planet X!!!!

      Not anymore. Now it's going to be planetMAC, instead of Planet X, to line up with the naming scheme for the other planets, like planetEARTH, for example.

      (It was getting sillier and sillier of Apple to pretend "OS X" was pronounced "Oh ess ten," when the version number hit 10.10... because people like me started to call it "Oh ess ten dot ten dot ten dot ten dot ten dot... ecks dot ten dot ecks dot ten..." etc.)

      Wait, what were we talking about?

  3. 76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    there could be at least 76 planets

    STAR LIGHT IS INVISIBLE IN SPACE
    yet Nasa shows starlights in lots of the vids

    1. Re:76 planets by Opportunist · · Score: 3

      Star light is invisible in space? WTF?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:76 planets by aliquis · · Score: 3, Funny

      If you can't hear any noise then surely you shouldn't be able to see any light either.

      Otherwise it would be racist. Social justice for everyone! Equality now!

    3. Re:76 planets by Tukz · · Score: 1

      Don't browse /. while high on meth.

      --
      - Don't do what I do, it's probably not healthy nor safe. -
    4. Re:76 planets by Salgak1 · · Score: 3, Funny

      On Slashdot, no one can hear you banging your head against the wall at some of the truly Burning Stoopid posts. . .

    5. Re:76 planets by invictusvoyd · · Score: 1

      Don't browse /. while high on meth.

      weed is ok

    6. Re:76 planets by Tukz · · Score: 1

      Obviously, I'd venture to say it's almost an requirement with some of the posts.

      --
      - Don't do what I do, it's probably not healthy nor safe. -
    7. Re: 76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      there could be at least 76 planets

      STAR LIGHT IS INVISIBLE IN SPACE
      yet Nasa shows starlights in lots of the vids

    8. Re:76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      there could be at least 76 planets

      STAR LIGHT IS INVISIBLE IN SPACE
      yet Nasa shows starlights in lots of the vids

      You have it all wrong. Starlight is visible in space, it's just from the surface of the moon that NASA says starlight isn't visible according to the moon landing videos.

    9. Re:76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      #BlackPlanetsMatter

    10. Re:76 planets by edittard · · Score: 1

      Don't browse /. while high on meth.

      Note: this does not apply to editing.

      --
      At the bottom of the /. main page it says 'Yesterday's News'. Well they got that right.
    11. Re:76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think otherwise this site becomes a one way ticket to the looney bin.

    12. Re:76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can you see starlight during the day?

    13. Re:76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't browse /. while high on meth.

      Note: this does not apply to editing.

      Slashdot is edited?!!?!?!!

      Well, you must be living on one of those two new planets.

    14. Re:76 planets by cheekyboy · · Score: 1

      1. the sun
      2. stars during eclipse
      3. stars from the space station
      4. a super nova
      5. long exposure with blue filter
      6. the moons light came from the sun

      --
      Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
    15. Re:76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      all visible on atmosphere

      without atmosphere, special diffuser lenses, out of spectrum camera, would be invisible

    16. Re:76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      #BlackMatterPlanets ?

    17. Re:76 planets by plopez · · Score: 1

      I hope this was a woosh

      --
      putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
    18. Re: 76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      During the lunar day, yes. Perhaps it escaped your notice that there's this bright thing called the Sun who's brightness makes in impossible to see stars. Perhaps its also escaped your notice that the Sun shines I n the lunar daytime sky as well. Furthermore the presence or absence of an atmosphere has no effect in this phenomenon.

    19. Re:76 planets by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      Some already post from the loony bin...such as a three letter name found in my signature.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    20. Re: 76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "whose", not "who's". Who's means who is.

    21. Re:76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's special about starlight? You could just make a vacuum in a tube and test to see if light goes through a vacuum?

    22. Re:76 planets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dark matter planets are MACHO!

  4. Oh, boy by Coisiche · · Score: 1

    This claim will eventually make it in to mainstream news, except presented as a claim of certainty rather than hypothesis. Which is going to be followed by a lot of "Niburu discovered!" posts on social media.

    1. Re:Oh, boy by phishybongwaters · · Score: 1

      already has. And this whole planet 9 thing is an opinion, many other astronomers have a solid, yet differing, opinion of what's caused it.

    2. Re:Oh, boy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We should "teach the conflict" then.

  5. Mondas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If a tenth planet is discovered, we must name it Mondas.

    1. Re:Mondas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If a tenth planet is discovered, we must name it Mondas.

      Nah. Name it Tyson.

      Then we'll find out what's bigger: Neil de Grasse Tyson's ego or his useless pedantry.

      I'd bet on the ego. No fucking way he'd call himself a dwarf.

    2. Re:Mondas by Salgak1 · · Score: 1

      Nope. Lemmy.

      We didn't get the element, so we NEED to name the planet. . .

    3. Re:Mondas by invictusvoyd · · Score: 1

      Forget the name , It should be handed over to ISIS . The distance is good.

    4. Re:Mondas by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 0

      Planety McCraterFace.

      Yep, still funny.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    5. Re:Mondas by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      Rupert, obviously.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    6. Re:Mondas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What about "Bob", that sounds like a good name for a planet. For my second suggestion I'd say "Chaos", I believe it was the name for the tenth planet of the solar system, and home of the pirate base, in an old cartoon called "EXO Squad".

    7. Re: Mondas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Best name ever. I will vote for it.

  6. Murder won't be illegal on such a planet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Murder won't be illegal on such a planet. Therefore we should send all the niggers and towelheads there. They will be happier there and us civilized people can live in peace.

    1. Re:Murder won't be illegal on such a planet by phishybongwaters · · Score: 1

      a few more asshats like you and there will be no more AC posting here, it's inevitable. Well played sir, well played. As well as a racist dickhole douchebag could play anything I suppose.

    2. Re: Murder won't be illegal on such a planet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Then the racism will come from logged-in users. Obviously you're too young to remember trolls like Ralph JewHater Nader. A lot of the logged-in trolls frequently made racist remarks as part of their shit posting. The only reason it comes from ACs is that logged-in trolls are limited to two posts per day. However, if AC posting is eliminated, I guarantee you'll see logged-in trolls making lots of racist posts. Hell, I've even seen uses who post at +1 or +2 make some pretty racist comments at times. AC posting isn't going away, but even if it did, it wouldn't eliminate the racist trolls. I guess you're just too young to remember all the logged-in trolls that used to frequent Slashdot.

    3. Re: Murder won't be illegal on such a planet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sounds like you're racist towards AC's. Sad!

    4. Re:Murder won't be illegal on such a planet by Dogtanian · · Score: 1

      a few more asshats like you and there will be no more AC posting here, it's inevitable

      Unlikely, unless Slashdot's new owners take a significantly different approach.

      I've been here since 2002, and there's pretty much always been racist trolling from ACs; if anything, it seemed to be slightly higher in the past.

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  7. Nibiru by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This claim will eventually make it in to mainstream news, except presented as a claim of certainty rather than hypothesis. Which is going to be followed by a lot of "Niburu discovered!" posts on social media.

    Now that you mention it, it DOES sounds a lot like Nibiru including it's historically recorded orbit time range. Thanks for bringing it up!

  8. Yup, I *got* the memo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Two planets? Check.

    Hidden? Yep, one of them.

    One? The other's not hidden; just forbidden

    1. Re:Yup, I *got* the memo by edittard · · Score: 1

      Attempt no landings there.

      --
      At the bottom of the /. main page it says 'Yesterday's News'. Well they got that right.
  9. Nibiru by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Richard Hoagland is vindicated.

  10. mod [Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    TO dECLINE FOR tHe gay niggers

  11. The next four discovered planets must be called by msk · · Score: 1

    . . . Persephone, CaÃna, Antenora, and Ptoleme. . . .

    1. Re:The next four discovered planets must be called by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

      These two need to be named Tweedledum and Tweedledee

    2. Re:The next four discovered planets must be called by painandgreed · · Score: 1

      What about Mickey and Goofy?

  12. "Could be" "at least" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How does "could be" square with "at least" ?

    ANSWER: It doesn't.

  13. maybe two more? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, actually three - if one considers pluto a planet hidden from the minds of astronomers...

  14. Re:"Could be" "at least" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    very easily

  15. Your Anus is not its real name. by cheekyboy · · Score: 1

    Herschel did not name the planet Uranus, he called it "the Georgium Sidus" (the Georgian Planet) in honor of King George III of England.

    Though they should build two more new probes, identical and send one to uranus and one to neptune.

    Common whats 4-6 billion dollars, a weeks military budget.

    Just print so more fuking money retards, or ask bill gates to pay for it or bloody just bill it to Apple, since they pay no taxes

    --
    Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
    1. Re:Your Anus is not its real name. by plopez · · Score: 2

      you could name one probe "catheter" and the other "colonoscopy".

      --
      putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  16. Mystery Planets? by rossdee · · Score: 1

    Never mind the Mystery and Thriller planets, I want to see the Science Fiction and Fantasy planets

    1. Re:Mystery Planets? by painandgreed · · Score: 1

      We need a Forbidden Planet.

  17. Meddling kids... by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

    These planets would have never been found, if it weren't for you meddling kids.

  18. Nibiru is Coming by stinkyjak · · Score: 0

    The 12th Planet, Nibiru.

  19. Do-over for the high school textbooks by codeButcher · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Don't know about others, but I do not think amending textbooks (science, at least) is a bad thing. Being in school in 2017-2027 and reading something along the lines of "these planets where only discovered in 2016" would go a long way to get me interested in a STEM career.

    --
    Free, as in your money being freed from the confines of your account.
    1. Re:Do-over for the high school textbooks by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 1

      Because finding the thousands of exoplanets isn't interesting enough?

  20. Oops... by drew_92123 · · Score: 1

    Sorry for the false alarm guys, seems they accidentally forgot to take into account the gravitational pull of my nuts. ;-)

    1. Re:Oops... by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 1

      Yes, but they took into account the vacuum where your brain is supposed to be so it's more than balanced out.

  21. Obligatory Psych reference by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

    http://ih0.redbubble.net/image...

  22. Planet 9 from Outer Space! by jenningsthecat · · Score: 1

    Where's Ed Wood when we need him?

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  23. of course there is! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We already know of at least one such planet: Yuggoth. Yuggoth has traditionally been assumed to be Pluto, but since there are no Mi-gos there, we know that has to be wrong.

  24. Counter-Earth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow, I was only aware of Gor.

  25. Nibiru by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this the elusive 'Planet X' (coined when Pluto was still a planet) Nibiru?

  26. DUH! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What planet where YOU guys living on? It's called "Sedna" and it's been known for a while now.

  27. That's about the only way you're likely to pull :) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sorry for the false alarm guys, seems they accidentally forgot to take into account the gravitational pull of my nuts. ;-)

    Indeed. Scientific astronomical measurements are often done to (what would seem to ordinary people to be) ludicrous levels of precision and can be thrown off by a mass as small as that of two shrivelled raisins!

  28. Ancient cultures depicted 12 planets. by master_p · · Score: 1

    Almost all ancient cultures depicted a solar system of 12 planets. Early civilizations like the Sumerians considered the planets to be Gods, which later transpired to the Greek Dodecatheon (12 gods) and the 12 disciples of Jesus.

    It is quite surprising to me that we can't detect these bodies. It is ok not to detect them on visible light, but what about the infrared? IRAS was supposed to have discovered a large planetary body at the border of our solar system in 1982. Shouldn't we have ten times better infrared telescopes today?

    1. Re:Ancient cultures depicted 12 planets. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      put down the crack pipe, put your hands up and slowly back away...