Overview
- Researchers compared infrared data from the 1983 IRAS and 2006 AKARI surveys, identifying one prime candidate for Planet Nine among 13 potential objects.
- The candidate is hypothesized to be Neptune-sized and located approximately 400 astronomical units from the Sun, with an orbit lasting 10,000–20,000 years.
- The study, led by Taiwanese researchers, has been accepted for publication in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia but has not yet undergone peer review.
- The findings aim to explain the unusual clustering of Kuiper Belt objects, which some scientists attribute to the gravitational influence of an unseen massive body.
- Skepticism remains, with Caltech astronomer Mike Brown questioning whether the candidate aligns with the expected characteristics and effects of Planet Nine.