Researchers and Mike Brown at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) found indications that a planet about 10 times the size of Earth is lurking further our in our solar system. This planet would be between the size of Earth and Neptune (shown below).
One of the researchers is Mike Brown, the scientist that found the Kuiper Belt dwarf planet Eris that led to the demotion of Pluto. You can certainly call him determined.
This assumed planet is so far out that it may take between 10,000 and 20,000 Earth years to circle the sun. If you don't like winter, you certainly will not like a winter that lasts thousands of years (and any planet that far out would not have much of a summer anyway).
Also, being about 200 astronomical units from our sun, it is five times more distant than Pluto. Hence, we can point the New Horizons spacecraft at the proposed planet if we are willing to wait at least another 40 years for an answer (assuming the spacecraft has sufficient fuel and a clear destination).
Here is a video from Caltech that explains this recent discovery. You can also view more on the search for the ninth planet on this very helpful site at findplanetnine.com.
One of the researchers is Mike Brown, the scientist that found the Kuiper Belt dwarf planet Eris that led to the demotion of Pluto. You can certainly call him determined.
This assumed planet is so far out that it may take between 10,000 and 20,000 Earth years to circle the sun. If you don't like winter, you certainly will not like a winter that lasts thousands of years (and any planet that far out would not have much of a summer anyway).
Also, being about 200 astronomical units from our sun, it is five times more distant than Pluto. Hence, we can point the New Horizons spacecraft at the proposed planet if we are willing to wait at least another 40 years for an answer (assuming the spacecraft has sufficient fuel and a clear destination).
Here is a video from Caltech that explains this recent discovery. You can also view more on the search for the ninth planet on this very helpful site at findplanetnine.com.
