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2d ago

Astronomers Identify Potential Planet Nine Candidate from Archival Infrared Data

A newly analyzed object, detected in decades-old IRAS and AKARI surveys, shows movement consistent with a distant Neptune-sized planet, but confirmation remains uncertain.

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Illustration of the solar system, showing the paths of the eight major planets as they orbit the Sun.
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Overview

  • Researchers led by Terry Long Phan used infrared data from NASA's IRAS (1983) and Japan's AKARI (2006) surveys to identify a candidate object with a 23-year positional shift.
  • The object's brightness and motion suggest it could be more massive than Neptune, with an orbit ranging from 280 AU to 1,120 AU from the Sun.
  • The study, published as a preprint and accepted by the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, awaits peer review and further observational confirmation.
  • Prominent astronomer Mike Brown has expressed skepticism, citing inconsistencies between the candidate's orbital tilt and the effects attributed to Planet Nine.
  • Modern telescopes like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope are expected to advance the search for Planet Nine in the coming years.