Scientists have identified a promising candidate for the hypothetical ninth planet in our solar system, dubbed Planet Nine. The discovery was made by researchers at the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan using data from old satellites. However, not everyone is convinced of the findings.
According to study lead-author Terry Phan, finding the new candidate “motivated” him and his team. They discovered a dot that moved in a way consistent with a large, distant planet in infrared images taken by two decommissioned satellites. The object’s movement suggested it could be an undiscovered giant planet orbiting the Sun.
However, astronomer Mike Brown from Caltech is skeptical about the discovery. He calculates that the object would have a tilt of around 120 degrees from the Solar System’s plane, which is much greater than Planet Nine’s predicted tilt. This suggests that the object may not be a match for the elusive planet.
Brown believes that if the infrared signal is indeed a planet, it could be a separate entity that could disprove the Planet Nine hypothesis. The existence of Planet Nine remains a contentious subject, and its discovery will likely require further observation with the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.
The observatory, set to open later this year, has the potential to settle the debate once and for all. With its advanced technology, it could spot Planet Nine within a year or two if it exists at all. For now, scientists continue to wait for direct observational evidence of the planet’s existence.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/planets/astronomers-identify-first-good-candidate-for-controversial-planet-nine-deep-in-our-solar-system