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The Independent
2 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
What we know about the search for ‘Planet Nine' in our solar system
Is there a massive undiscovered planet on the outer reaches of the Solar System? The idea has been around since before the discovery of Pluto in the 1930s. Labelled as planet X, prominent astronomers had put it forward as an explanation for Uranus 's orbit, which drifts from the path of orbital motion that physics would expect it to follow. The gravitational pull of an undiscovered planet, several times larger than Earth, was seen as a possible reason for the discrepancy. That mystery was ultimately explained by a recalculation of Neptune 's mass in the 1990s, but then a new theory of a potential Planet Nine was put forward in 2016 by astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown at Caltech (the California Institute of Technology). Their theory relates to the Kuiper Belt, a giant belt of dwarf planets, asteroids and other matter that lies beyond Neptune (and includes Pluto). Many Kuiper Belt objects – also referred to as trans-Neptunian objects – have been discovered orbiting the Sun, but like Uranus, they don't do so in a continuous expected direction. Batygin and Brown argued that something with a large gravitational pull must be affecting their orbit, and proposed Planet Nine as a potential explanation. This would be comparable to what happens with our own Moon. It orbits the Sun every 365.25 days, in line with what you would expect in view of their distance apart. However, the Earth's gravitational pull is such that the Moon also orbits the planet every 27 days. From the point of view of an outside observer, the Moon moves in a spiralling motion as a result. Similarly, many objects in the Kuiper Belt show signs of their orbits being affected by more than just the Sun's gravity. While astronomers and space scientists were initially sceptical about the Planet Nine theory, there has been mounting evidence, thanks to increasingly powerful observations, that the orbits of trans-Neptunian objects are indeed erratic. As Brown said in 2024, 'I think it is very unlikely that P9 does not exist. There are currently no other explanations for the effects that we see, nor for the myriad other P9-induced effects we see on the Solar System.' In 2018, for example, it was announced that there was a new candidate for a dwarf planet orbiting the Sun, known as 2017 OF201. This object measures around 700km across (Earth is roughly 18x bigger) and has a highly elliptical orbit. This lack of a roughly circular orbit around the Sun suggested either an impact early in its lifetime that put it on this path, or gravitational influence from Planet Nine. Problems with the theory On the other hand, if Planet Nine exists, why hasn't anyone found it yet? Some astronomers question whether there's enough orbital data from Kuiper objects to justify any conclusions about its existence, while alternative explanations get put forward for their motion, such as the effect of a ring of debris or the more fantastical idea of a small black hole. The biggest issue, however, is that the outer Solar System just hasn't been observed for long enough. For example, object 2017 OF201 has an orbital period of about 24,000 years. While an object's orbital path around the Sun can be found in a short number of years, any gravitational effects probably need four to five orbits to notice any subtle changes. New discoveries of objects in the Kuiper Belt have also presented challenges for the Planet Nine theory. The latest is known as 2023 KQ14, an object discovered by the Subaru telescope in Hawaii. It is known as a 'sednoid', meaning it spends most of its time far away from the Sun, though within the vast area in which the Sun has a gravitational pull (this area lies some 5,000AU or astronomical units away, where 1AU is the distance from the Earth to the Sun). The object's classification as a sednoid also means the gravitational influence of Neptune has little to no effect on it. 2023 KQ14's closest approach to the Sun is around 71AU away, while its furthest point is about 433AU. By comparison, Neptune is about 30AU away from the Sun. This new object is another with a very elliptical orbit, but it is more stable than 2017 OF201, which suggests that no large planet, including a hypothetical Planet Nine, is significantly affecting its path. If Planet Nine exists, it would therefore perhaps have to be farther than 500AU away from the Sun. To make matters worse for the Planet Nine theory, this is the fourth sednoid to be discovered. The other three also exhibit stable orbits, similarly suggesting that any Planet Nine would have to be very far away indeed. Nonetheless, the possibility remains that there could still be a massive planet affecting the orbits of bodies within the Kuiper Belt. But astronomers' ability to find any such planet remains somewhat limited by the restrictions of even unmanned space travel. It would take 118 years for a spacecraft to travel far enough away to find it, based on estimates from the speed of Nasa's New Horizons explorer. This means we'll have to continue to rely on ground- and space-based telescopes to detect anything. New asteroids and distant objects are being discovered all the time as our observing capabilities become more detailed, which should gradually shed more light on what might be out there. So watch this (very big) space, and let's see what emerges in the coming years. Ian Whittaker is a Senior Lecturer in Physics at Nottingham Trent University.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Fossil' object discovered on outskirts of solar system
Astronomers have discovered a "fossil" body residing on the outskirts of the solar system, according to new research. The object – which goes by the formal designation 2023 KQ14 but is nicknamed 'Ammonite," in an apparent nod to the widely found, ancient fossilized mollusk – was detected by the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, according to a paper published Tuesday in Nature Astronomy. Ammonite was discovered at its perihelion, which is the point in a celestial body's orbit at which it is closest to the sun, according to the paper. It lies beyond Pluto at a distance of 71 AU, or astronomical units – putting it 71 times the average distance between the sun and Earth, according to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), whose astronomers made the discovery. MORE: 100 undiscovered galaxies could be orbiting the Milky Way, according to new research The object was found in a region so far on the solar system's outskirts that gravity from Neptune, the planet farthest away from the sun in our solar system, has little influence on it, Fumi Yoshida, a planetary scientist at the NAOJ and co-author of the paper, said in a statement. Such objects are technically known as sednoids. Ammonite is only the fourth-ever sednoid to be discovered, the researchers said. "The presence of objects with elongated orbits and large perihelion distances in this area implies that something extraordinary occurred during the ancient era when 2023 KQ14 formed," Yoshida said. "Understanding the orbital evolution and physical properties of these unique, distant objects is crucial for comprehending the full history of the solar system." MORE: Webb telescope discovers stars forming in 'toe beans' of Cat's Paw Nebula Astronomers first noticed the object several times in 2023 and confirmed its existence with follow-up observations in 2024 by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii, according to NAOJ. Astronomers were also able to track the object's orbit over 19 years by studying old data from other observatories. Ammonite has maintained a stable orbit for at least 4.5 billion years but its current orbit differs from those of the other known sednoids, according to the paper. The discovery indicates that the outer solar system is more diverse and complex than previously thought, according to NAOJ. In addition, the existence of Ammonite again calls into question the existence of a possible Planet Nine, a long-hypothesized ninth planet in the solar system that some say could explain the orbits of other distant objects through its gravitational influence, should it exist. "The fact that 2023 KQ14's current orbit does not align with those of the other three sednoids lowers the likelihood of the Planet Nine hypothesis," said Yukun Huang, an astronomer at the NAOJ and co-author of the paper. "It is possible that a planet once existed in the solar system but was later ejected, causing the unusual orbits we see today." MORE: Could our solar system have 9 planets after all? Astronomers may have confirmed possible existence. Ammonite was found as part of the FOSSIL survey project, which stands for the Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy, according to NAOJ. A more classical name will be assigned to the object by the International Astronomical Union at a later date, the researchers said. The Subaru Telescope is among the few telescopes on Earth capable of making such a discovery, according to the researchers. "I would be happy if the FOSSIL team could make many more discoveries like this one and help draw a complete picture of the history of the Solar System," Yoshida said. Solve the daily Crossword
18-07-2025
- Science
'Fossil' object dubbed 'Ammonite' discovered on the outskirts of the solar system
Astronomers have discovered a "fossil" body residing on the outskirts of the solar system, according to new research. The object – which goes by the formal designation 2023 KQ14 but is nicknamed 'Ammonite," in an apparent nod to the widely found, ancient fossilized mollusk – was detected by the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, according to a paper published Tuesday in Nature Astronomy. Ammonite was discovered at its perihelion, which is the point in a celestial body's orbit at which it is closest to the sun, according to the paper. It lies beyond Pluto at a distance of 71 AU, or astronomical units – putting it 71 times the average distance between the sun and Earth, according to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), whose astronomers made the discovery. The object was found in a region so far on the solar system's outskirts that gravity from Neptune, the planet farthest away from the sun in our solar system, has little influence on it, Fumi Yoshida, a planetary scientist at the NAOJ and co-author of the paper, said in a statement. Such objects are technically known as sednoids. Ammonite is only the fourth-ever sednoid to be discovered, the researchers said. "The presence of objects with elongated orbits and large perihelion distances in this area implies that something extraordinary occurred during the ancient era when 2023 KQ14 formed," Yoshida said. "Understanding the orbital evolution and physical properties of these unique, distant objects is crucial for comprehending the full history of the solar system." Astronomers first noticed the object several times in 2023 and confirmed its existence with follow-up observations in 2024 by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii, according to NAOJ. Astronomers were also able to track the object's orbit over 19 years by studying old data from other observatories. Ammonite has maintained a stable orbit for at least 4.5 billion years but its current orbit differs from those of the other known sednoids, according to the paper. The discovery indicates that the outer solar system is more diverse and complex than previously thought, according to NAOJ. In addition, the existence of Ammonite again calls into question the existence of a possible Planet Nine, a long-hypothesized ninth planet in the solar system that some say could explain the orbits of other distant objects through its gravitational influence, should it exist. "The fact that 2023 KQ14's current orbit does not align with those of the other three sednoids lowers the likelihood of the Planet Nine hypothesis," said Yukun Huang, an astronomer at the NAOJ and co-author of the paper. "It is possible that a planet once existed in the solar system but was later ejected, causing the unusual orbits we see today." Ammonite was found as part of the FOSSIL survey project, which stands for the Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy, according to NAOJ. A more classical name will be assigned to the object by the International Astronomical Union at a later date, the researchers said. The Subaru Telescope is among the few telescopes on Earth capable of making such a discovery, according to the researchers. "I would be happy if the FOSSIL team could make many more discoveries like this one and help draw a complete picture of the history of the Solar System," Yoshida said.
International Business Times
17-07-2025
- Science
- International Business Times
Ammonite Discovered Beyond Pluto: Is This the Real Ninth Planet?
Japanese astronomers have discovered a far-off object orbiting the Sun well beyond Neptune, suggesting that an extraordinary event occurred in the early solar system. The discovery was made by astronomers using the Subaru Telescope, which is situated atop a dormant volcano in Hawaii. They observed a tiny object orbiting 252 astronomical units (AUs), which is the furthest away from the Sun. An AU is the average distance between the Sun and Earth. As a tribute to its status as an extreme remnant of the early solar system, scientists named it Ammonite, after a group of extinct marine animals, and officially designated it 2023 KQ14. In comparison, Pluto is typically around 40 astronomical units away from the Sun, so 2023 KQ14 is a long way off. It takes around 34 hours for light reflected off ammonite to reach Earth from a distance of 23.4 billion miles (37.7 billion kilometers). First Identified by Astronomers in 2023? The discovery, which was reported in Nature Astronomy on Tuesday, July 15, is the fourth "Sednoid" to be found. The extremely elongated orbits of this group of far-off, trans-Neptunian objects extend beyond the Kuiper Belt. Sednoids are not affected by the gravitational field of the Sun because they are not attached to it, in contrast to other objects that orbit the Sun beyond Neptune. In 2003, astronomers made the first Sednoid discovery, which they called Sedna. Ammonite was first identified by astronomers in 2023 as part of Subaru's FOSSIL (Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy) survey project. Using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, follow-up observations in July 2024 verified the discovery and showed the orbit of the object. Astronomers were also able to more accurately simulate its orbit after spotting it in 2021 and 2014 archive photos. The discovery team's computer simulations indicate that ammonite has been in a stable orbit for at least 4.5 billion years. It is only 66 astronomical units away from the Sun when it is at its closest. Currently, ammonite orbits in a different way than its Sednoid counterparts. Nonetheless, the simulations showed that approximately 4.2 billion years ago, the orbits of the four known Sednoids were remarkably similar. Planet Nine Theory This raises doubts about the existence of the Planet Nine theory. The long-held belief that a massive ninth planet orbits the Sun beyond Neptune is supported in large part by sednoids. It is possible that a ninth, unidentified planet is pulling on the Sednoids because the collection of tiny objects follows an oddly aligned, elongated orbit that cannot be explained by the gravitational pull of the solar system's known planets. Yukun Huang, a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan who carried out the simulations of Ammonite's orbit, said in a statement, "The fact that Ammonite's current orbit does not align with those of the other three sednoids lowers the likelihood of the Planet Nine hypothesis." "It is possible that a planet once existed in the Solar System but was later ejected, causing the unusual orbits we see today," Huang added. The estimated width of ammonite ranges from 136 to 236 miles (220 to 380 kilometers). Despite its small size, it is a sign that something much bigger is going on. Fumi Yoshida, a planetary scientist and co-author of the new study, said, "Ammonite was found in a region far away where Neptune's gravity has little influence. The presence of objects with elongated orbits and large perihelion distances in this area implies that something extraordinary occurred during the ancient era when Ammonite formed." "Understanding the orbital evolution and physical properties of these unique, distant objects is crucial for comprehending the full history of the solar system," Yoshida concluded.
Metro
17-07-2025
- Science
- Metro
A new world may have been discovered beyond Neptune
A telescope has discovered a new world on the edge of the Milky Way – potentially confirming the 'Planet X' theory. Beyond Neptune, a smaller 'ninth' planet has been identified in the Kuiper Belt. If the object is confirmed as an actual planet, it would make it the ninth in our solar system, following Pluto's downgrade to a dwarf planet. The potential planet, nicknamed 'Ammonite', was discovered by scientists using the Subaru Telescope at Japan's National Astronomical Observatory, who published their findings in Nature Astronomy. Ammonite has probably been in a stable orbit for more than 4,000,000,000 years, they said. 'If Planet Nine exists, its orbit should lie even farther out than previously predicted,' according to a news release from the observatory,' they wrote. 'Furthermore, the existence of Planet Nine would also need to explain why Ammonite's orbit does not cluster with those of the other sednoids.' In late May, scientists hunting for Planet Nine, the elusive planetary body that could change our understanding of the solar system, found something. Planet X is a hypothetical planet seven times the mass of Earth tucked just behind Pluto. Despite possibly being the fifth most massive planet, scientists have never tracked the white whale of astronomy down – that is, if it even exists. But a trio of American scientists trying to find the elusive gas giant discovered a new planet… of sorts, a dwarf planet called 2017 OF201. The search for a ninth planet in our solar system has been going on for a century. The evidence for it that hunters have long clung to is how six objects – dwarf planets and icy balls – have been discovered in the vastly empty outskirts of the solar system. Bizarrely, they huddle together as they orbit, as if something a gassy behemoth of a planet were shepherding them, said Imo Bell, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. They told Metro: 'Some astronomers believe that proving the existence of this planet would explain the behaviour of many other eTNOs with highly elliptical orbits clustered on one side of the Sun. 'It's thought that Planet Nine, with a mass of about five Earths, would explain the confined orbits of these eTNOs.' A dwarf planet is an object large enough that its gravity squishes it into a round shape, but not large enough to 'clear the neighbourhood' of other celestial bodies. According to a study, which has not been peer-reviewed, 2017 OF201 is roughly 430 miles across, three times smaller than Pluto. More Trending The object is an extreme trans-Neptunian object (eTNO), a minor planet that orbits the Sun far beyond Neptune. So far away, in fact, OF201 would take 25,000 Earth years to complete a solar lap. Its orbit even swings out into the Oort Cloud – a sphere of icy comets a trillion miles from the Sun. OF201 can only be observed from Earth 0.5% of the time, making its closest approach to us in 1930 and won't do so again until 26,186. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center added 2017 OF201 to its database last week. Five other dwarf planets are officially recognised: Pluto, Eris, Ceres and two others beyond Neptune, Haumea and Makemake. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Asteroid size of 10-storey building to fly past Earth at 13,900mph today MORE: Uranus is hotter and leakier than we realised MORE: 'Super-Earth' sending out strange signal over 145 light years discovered
