Page 39 - All About Space 68 - 2017 UK

Search for Planet Nine
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Planet
Nine

What have we seen?

The prevalence of
super-Earths
Strange movements in our Planet Nine might be
Solar System and the Kuiper something between a rocky
Belt hint something may be planet and a gas giant, known
as a super-Earth. These are
lurking beyond Neptune common in the galaxy, but
not in our Solar System.

Planet Nine would also force some
objects into a perpendicular orbit to its
own – these objects have been found
It’s thought that if a planet like Planet Nine exists,
there should also be a population of objects with
a perpendicular orbital inclination. Two objects
have been observed – 2008 KV42 and 2012 DR30
– which fit this prediction of the model.

We’re tilted at six
degrees to the Sun
We know that the plane of
the Solar System is tilted with
respect to the Sun, however,
the reasoning as to why has
Planet Ten might also long been a mystery – the
cause orbital changes existence of another world
could explain it. It’s thought
Some researchers think that Planet Nine has quite a
the orbital clustering of long orbit and so can assert
the minor planets beyond quite a bit of torque on the
Neptune would only be inner planets without having
explained by the presence to apply a great deal of force.
of two or more planets.

Sedna 2010 GB 174
Six minor planets in the
Kuiper Belt line up in an
unexplained way
Caltech’s Konstantin Batygin and
Michael Brown found that orbits
of minor planets – namely Sedna, Planet Nine
2012 VP113, 2004 VN112 and 2010
GB174 – are aligned in space with 2004 VN 112
their perihelia in roughly the same
2012 VP 113
direction. The objects and their
position have been confirmed by six
surveys on six separate telescopes. 2013 RF 98
2007 TG 422

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