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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.

13 of 84 comments (clear)

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

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

  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: 4, Funny

      Speaking of Uranus,

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

    3. 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.

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

      Two suns, my friend, two suns.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
  3. 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.
  4. 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!

  5. 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. . .

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

    #BlackPlanetsMatter

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

    #BlackMatterPlanets ?

  8. 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.
  9. Re:Your Anus is not its real name. by plopez · · Score: 2

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

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    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+