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Candidate for Ninth Planet Identified in Archival Infrared Data

Taiwan-led researchers report a potential object beyond Neptune, but its confirmation may challenge the Planet 9 hypothesis.

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Forscher suchen seit Jahrzehnten nach dem neunten Planeten - bisher erfolglos.

Overview

  • A Taiwan-led team analyzed decades-old infrared data from the IRAS (1983) and Akari (2006) missions, identifying a candidate object potentially larger than Neptune at 700 AU from the Sun.
  • The discovery, detailed in a peer-reviewed article, awaits confirmation due to insufficient orbital data and requires further observation.
  • Mike Brown, co-proposer of the Planet 9 hypothesis, argues the candidate’s properties could invalidate the current model of Planet 9 if confirmed.
  • Some astronomers suggest alternative explanations for trans-Neptunian object orbits that do not require a ninth planet.
  • The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, set to begin operations mid-2025, is expected to provide critical data to confirm or refute this candidate’s existence.