Monday, 5 May 2025

Astronomers identify first 'good' candidate for controversial Planet Nine deep in our solar system

 


Image courtesy of Shutterstock

 Joel Kontinen

What is the current stage for discovering the planet 9, which some astronomers think that existed in outr solar system?

Researchers have found a candidate for the hypothetical Planet Nine, which could be an undiscovered giant planet way out in our solar system. However, as with all ninth planet research, the new findings were met with some skepticism.

Astronomers searching for a ninth planet in our solar system say they've found a "good" candidate far beyond Neptune, according to a new preprint study.

This could be humanity's first glimpse at the long-theorized Planet Nine, which — if it exists — is a giant, undiscovered world distantly orbiting our sun. However, the ninth planet proposal is contentious, and the new findings are unlikely to change that.

Researchers discovered this latest planetary candidate while studying old satellite data. At this stage, the candidate is simply a curious dot across a few infrared images. But the dot seemed to be moving in a way that was consistent with a large, distant planet.

The scientists say that they have no indication for the look for this planet. So the search continues.

Source:

Patrick Pester 2025 Planet Nine? Astronomers spot potential ninth planet far beyond Neptune — but not everyone is convinced | Live Science May 2.