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A New World's Extraordinary Orbit Points to Planet Nine (wired.com)
In early 2016, two planetary scientists declared that a ghost planet is hiding in the depths of the solar system, well beyond the orbit of Pluto. Their claim, which they made based on the curious orbits of distant icy worlds, quickly sparked a race to find this so-called Planet Nine -- a planet that is estimated to be about 10 times the mass of Earth. From a report: Now, astronomers are reporting that they have spotted another distant world -- perhaps as large as a dwarf planet -- whose orbit is so odd that it is likely to have been shepherded by Planet Nine. The object confirms a specific prediction made by Konstantin Batygin and Michael Brown, the astronomers at the California Institute of Technology who first argued for Planet Nine's existence. "It's not proof that Planet Nine exists," said David Gerdes, an astronomer at the University of Michigan and a co-author on the new paper. "But I would say the presence of an object like this in our solar system bolsters the case for Planet Nine."
Gerdes and his colleagues spotted the new object in data from the Dark Energy Survey, a project that probes the acceleration in the expansion of the universe by surveying a region well above the plane of the solar system. This makes it an unlikely tool for finding objects inside the solar system, since they mostly orbit within the plane. But that is exactly what makes the new object unique: Its orbit is tilted 54 degrees with respect to the plane of the solar system. It's something Gerdes did not expect to see. Batygin and Brown, however, predicted it. The rocky body is being described as 2015 BP519. Quanta magazine has more details.
Gerdes and his colleagues spotted the new object in data from the Dark Energy Survey, a project that probes the acceleration in the expansion of the universe by surveying a region well above the plane of the solar system. This makes it an unlikely tool for finding objects inside the solar system, since they mostly orbit within the plane. But that is exactly what makes the new object unique: Its orbit is tilted 54 degrees with respect to the plane of the solar system. It's something Gerdes did not expect to see. Batygin and Brown, however, predicted it. The rocky body is being described as 2015 BP519. Quanta magazine has more details.
Yes, Pluto is still a planet.
The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.
Yes it is - if you think it is. No, if not.
Incorrect - if you think it is not you are simply wrong; as the article states by any objective measure Pluto is a planet.
If you persist in claiming Pluto is not a planet, that does not mean Pluto is not. planet - instead, it means you are an asshole.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I saw an episode of "The Universe" on the History Channel where Mike Brown was talking about his belief that such a planet existed. He was lumped in with a bunch of 2012 Doomsdayers who suggested that such a planet would spell doom for us. Given his track-record of planet* discovery, I thought his interview may have been taken out of context, but it sounds like he actually believes this is the case (the planet part, not the doomsday part).
*dwarf-planet, extra-solar body, or whatever name we use nowadays
If you post as Anonymous Coward, don't expect a reply.
another special Gas little overhead
each of us could be given our own planet & there'd still be plenty to go round? instead we're piled higher & higher here being literally choked off by our 'inventions'' need for for us to remain in obsolescence. phewww@%$#! cease fire stand down,. we weren't designed to defend some felonious greed fear ego based crown royal clowns who fear & loathe us.. truth+mercy=justice..
... even if it's premature speculation.
An object as remotely located as "planet nine," would be part of the Kuiper belt.
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
This has been well known for years to listeners of Art Bell and Coast-To-Coast with George Noory.
Planet X
"Where are we going?"
"Planet 10!"
"Plan 9".
Damn. I was really looking forward to meeting Vampira.
Have gnu, will travel.
Pluto aka Hades was the god of death and the underworld. Should we name the new planet if it exists "Satan"? Plutonium is so dangerous it was consciously named after Pluto. A dark god for a dark element.
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
This is just begging for a low budget Corman script.
Have you not seen all the Nibiru videos for the past IDK how many years. Nibiru is here. Along with the annunaki.
We must have access to the only remaining source of the Shaving Cream atom!