Is there a ninth planet in the solar system? Scientists find new evidence

How many planets are there actually in the solar system? Disputes about this are still ongoing. However, scientists have recently found evidence of the existence of a mysterious ninth planet in the system.

Many astronomers have argued for years that some unusual phenomena at the edge of the solar system, including the orbits of some objects, are best explained by the presence of an undiscovered planet there.

Now astronomer Konstantin Batygin of the California Institute of Technology says he and his colleagues have found even more evidence that the planet exists. Their work together, he said, “the strongest statistical evidence yet that Planet 9 is really out there.”

In the new work, scientists looked at a number of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) located at the edge of the solar system, beyond Neptune. They were interested, first of all, in objects whose movement had become unstable due to interaction with the orbit of Neptune. This instability makes these objects difficult to work with, so typically astronomers looking for a possible Planet Nine have avoided including them in their analysis.

The authors of the new study tried to understand the movements of these objects. And, according to Dr. Batygin, the best explanation for their movements is that they are influenced by another, unknown planet.

The team ran a variety of simulations to understand how the orbits of these objects were affected by various factors, including Neptune, the "galactic tide" emanating from the Milky Way, and so-called transiting stars (those stars that "pass" past the solar system).

According to Dr. Batygin, the best explanation for the movements of trans-Neptunian objects was provided by a model that included Planet Nine.

According to scientists, the Vera C Rubin Observatory, which is currently being built in Chile, will be able to confirm or disprove the existence of Planet Nine. Once operational, the observatory will help better understand the behavior of these distant objects.