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Hidden Planet

Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown discovered evidence of a "massive perturber" in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune's orbit. They believe this to be a hidden ninth planet, which they call "Planet Nine". Planet Nine is estimated to be multiple times the mass of Earth and orbits much farther from the Sun than Neptune. Strange orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects provide key evidence for Planet Nine's gravitational influence. Finding Planet Nine would significantly change our understanding of the formation and dynamics of the Solar System, and could shed light on the development of the Oort Cloud. However, directly observing Planet Nine is challenging due to its great distance and small size.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
32 views2 pages

Hidden Planet

Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown discovered evidence of a "massive perturber" in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune's orbit. They believe this to be a hidden ninth planet, which they call "Planet Nine". Planet Nine is estimated to be multiple times the mass of Earth and orbits much farther from the Sun than Neptune. Strange orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects provide key evidence for Planet Nine's gravitational influence. Finding Planet Nine would significantly change our understanding of the formation and dynamics of the Solar System, and could shed light on the development of the Oort Cloud. However, directly observing Planet Nine is challenging due to its great distance and small size.

Uploaded by

Akuryo Cha
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Name: Cha

Course: Engineering

Hidden Planet

There are eight known planets that orbit the Sun, making up the vast and intricate network of celestial
bodies known as the Solar System. Astronomers, on the other hand, have speculated in recent years
that the outer reaches of our Solar System may contain a hidden ninth planet. We will examine the
evidence for the existence of a hidden planet in our Solar System in this essay, as well as the potential
implications for our comprehension of our own celestial neighborhood. The theory that there is a
hidden planet in our Solar System is supported by a collection of observations and calculations. In a
paper that was published in the Astronomical Journal in 2016, Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown
described their discovery of a "massive perturber" in the Kuiper Belt, which is a region of icy objects that
lies outside of Neptune's orbit. As per their computations, this item, which they called "Planet Nine," is
roughly multiple times the mass of Earth and circles the Sun a ways off of multiple times farther than
Neptune. Strange orbits of a number of distant Kuiper Belt objects are one of the most important pieces
of evidence in support of Planet Nine's existence. The known gravitational pull of the planets in our Solar
System cannot explain why these objects are grouped together in this way. Batygin and Brown claim
that Planet Nine's gravitational pull could account for the unusual orbits and clustering of these objects.
Other observations, such as the alignment of some asteroids and the tilt of some of the planets' orbits
within our Solar System, also point to the existence of a hidden planet. However, compared to the
observations of the objects in the Kuiper Belt, these observations are not as conclusive. Potential Impact
of a Hidden Planet The discovery of a hidden planet in our Solar System would significantly alter our
comprehension of its origin and development. How the Solar System got to where it is today is one of
planetary science's biggest questions. By providing new insights into the formation of planets and the
dynamics of the Solar System, the existence of a hidden planet could shed light on this question.
Additionally, the discovery of a hidden planet may have repercussions for our comprehension of the
Solar System's past. For instance, it is conceivable that the gravitational draw of Planet Nine might play
had an impact in the development of the Oort Cloud - a locale of cold items that encompasses the
Planetary group a good ways off of up to multiple times the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

The revelation of a secret planet could likewise have useful ramifications for space investigation. Planet
Nine, for instance, could serve as a target for future space missions if it exists. Additionally, the discovery
of a brand-new planet in our Solar System may pique a new interest in scientific research and space
exploration. Obstacles to Identifying a Hidden Planet Despite the fact that there is evidence to suggest
that there is a hidden planet in our Solar System, locating it is not an easy task. It is believed that Planet
Nine can be found in the Solar System's outermost regions, beyond Neptune's orbit. Because it is so far
away and surrounded by a cloud of icy debris, it is difficult to observe. Planet Nine's size and distance
also make it difficult to detect because it does not emit much heat or light. Stargazers should depend on
backhanded perceptions, for example, the impacts of the planet's gravitational draw on different items
in the Planetary group, to affirm its presence.

Conclusion Astronomers and the general public alike have been captivated by the intriguing concept of a
hidden planet in our Solar System. Even though the evidence for Planet Nine's existence is strong, there
is still a lot of work to be done to prove its existence.

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