Scientists search for hiding 'Planet Nine' through the game of 'connect the dots'

Key Takeaways:

Researchers are making strides in narrowing down the possible location of “Planet Nine,” but uncertainties still surround its orbit and current position.
Theoretical calculations suggest that Planet Nine could be up to seven times more massive than Earth, ranking it among the largest planets in our solar system.

Advanced observational techniques, including data from telescopes like Pan-STARRS and future ones like the Subaru Telescope and Vera C. Rubin Observatory, are crucial in the search for Planet Nine.
Despite analyzing 78% of the suspected orbital pathway, the elusive planet remains undiscovered, prompting researchers to extend their search to more distant regions.
Confidence is high among scientists involved in the search, with expectations that Planet Nine could be located within the next year of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s operation, marking a significant breakthrough in astronomical exploration.

Researchers have made significant progress in pinpointing the potential location of the elusive “Planet Nine” after eliminating more than three-quarters of its hypothetical orbital path. In a recent study, scientists, who have been on the quest for this planet for nearly a decade, express confidence in locating it within the coming years.

Also referred to as Planet X, Planet Nine is a theoretical celestial body believed to exist in the outer regions of our solar system. Initially proposed in 2016 by Caltech astronomers Michael Brown and Konstantin Batygin, the idea gained traction when anomalies in the orbits of objects within the Kuiper Belt were observed by other astronomers. Brown and Batygin theorized that these irregular orbits could only be explained by the gravitational influence of a massive, unseen planet.

Since then, additional insights into the nature of Planet Nine have emerged. Estimated to be approximately seven times more massive than Earth, it would rank as the fifth-largest planet in our solar system. Its presumed location lies between 500 and 600 astronomical units from the sun, placing it significantly farther away than Neptune.

Compared to the known planets, Planet Nine’s orbit is much more elliptical, or stretched out, and is not on the same plane around the sun. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Despite advancements in understanding, uncertainties remain regarding Planet Nine’s elliptical orbit, which could span anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 years to complete. Furthermore, its orbital inclination compared to known planets and its current position within its orbit are yet to be determined, posing challenges to detection efforts.

In their latest endeavor, detailed in a preprint publication on arXiv, Brown, Batygin, and Matthew Holman from Harvard University utilized data from the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) in Hawaii to survey the anticipated orbital path of Planet Nine. Although 78% of the target region was scrutinized, the elusive planet remained elusive. Notably, these findings await peer review.

Brown emphasized the need to extend the search to more distant regions, acknowledging the complexity of the task. Employing Pan-STARRS data, the team meticulously tracked monthly changes in celestial positions, a computationally intensive endeavor amidst various celestial bodies exhibiting similar behaviors.

To minimize the possibility of overlooking Planet Nine, the team introduced thousands of simulated planets into the data set. Their high success rate in identifying these decoys suggests a low likelihood of missing the real planet within the search area, narrowing down its potential whereabouts to the furthest 22% of the projected orbit.

Continuing their pursuit, Brown and Batygin plan to leverage data from the Subaru Telescope, aiming to cover previously inaccessible regions and bolster confidence in their findings. Should this effort fall short, the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory, slated for operation in 2025, offers another opportunity for discovery.

Confident in the progress made, Brown anticipates that within a year of the Rubin Observatory’s activation, Planet Nine will be located, marking a significant milestone in astronomical exploration.