Mysterious New Planet “X” Discovered

BY SOPHIA WENGIER

On January 20, astronomers Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin announced evidence of a ninth planet, roughly the size of Neptune, orbiting our sun just beyond Pluto.

The idea that there is a ninth planet in our solar system is not new. While it has been a hypothesis for many years, researchers at the California Institute of Technology claim to finally have sufficient evidence of its existence.  Through a series of equations and computer simulations, Brown and Batygin were able to establish that there is a planet or celestial body somewhere in our solar system.  “Planet X” is estimated, based on its gravitational force, to be 600 to 1200 AU (astronomical units) away from the Kuiper Belt, even further than Pluto.  

Although the mysterious “Planet X” has not been seen through a telescope as of yet, its presence is inferred due to the strange elliptical orbits of objects in that area, most likely shaped by another planet.  The fact that the planet hasn’t been visually confirmed isn’t surprising as it’s most likely very dim, too far from the sun to reflect any light and too cold for any heat signatures to detect it. In short, finding Planet X through a telescope would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, or a small speck of light in a sea of bright stars.  Some remain skeptical of Planet X due to its extreme distance from the sun.  However, astronomers suspect that it was originally formed much closer to the sun but was later launched away by gravity as the universe expanded during the formation of the solar system.  This would explain why the alleged planet is now so far away.  

The idea of Planet X isn’t new and has actually been discussed for over a century.  In 1906, a wealthy tycoon named Percival Lowell looked for Planet X at his observatory in Arizona. In the end, he failed in his search due to lack of technology.  The hunt for this world even resulted in the discovery of Pluto in 1930 by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh.  Although many have tried and failed to prove its existence, astronomers are starting to believe that there’s just too much evidence to ignore.  

With the universe constantly growing and expanding, there’s so much we don’t know.  Hopefully, with advances in astronomical technology, the confirmation of Planet Nine won’t fade into the cosmos.