Emily Chan
Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin, astronomers at the California Institute of Technology, calculated that there was only a two percent chance that all six objects just happened to randomly share the same misshapen orbit.
So, in 2016, they came up with the “Planet Nine hypothesis.” Since then, the total number of objects with odd orbits has climbed to 13.
These discoveries have helped them estimate the size of Planet Nine, its distance from the sun, and its orbital path.
According to Brown, it’s about seven times bigger than Earth, which would make it the fifth-largest planet in our solar system.
Because of how far away it is from the sun, Planet Nine probably resembles Neptune and may be surrounded by moons.
Planet Nine is likely around 500 astronomical units away from the sun. It could take between 5,000 and 10,000 years for Planet Nine to make just one trip around the sun.
Many astronomers believe it’s “quite likely” that a ninth planet exists based on the available evidence.
Others are skeptical, citing a number of other theories that explain the strange orbital behaviors of the 13 objects.
For instance, a baby black hole or a giant disk of dust that is invisible to the human eye could be the culprit.
If scientists really do come across Planet Nine in the next few years, it would be the most significant solar system discovery of the century.
