2023-09-25 19:34:52
According to an article published in The Astronomical Journal, a second planet similar to Earth might exist in the outer solar system.
An existence that might revolutionize theories on the formation of the solar system. According to several researchers, authors of a scientific article published in The Astronomical Journalthe existence of a ninth planet, similar in size to Earth, in the outer solar system is strongly suggested.
The space scientists’ article focuses on the Kuiper Belt, a disk-shaped region beyond the orbit of Neptune in the outer solar system, in which some dwarf planets are found, including the most famous of them: Pluto.
Trans-Neptunian objects essential to discovery
According to these researchers, this area contains numerous so-called trans-Neptunian objects, one of which was spotted in 2003 by astronomer Michael Brown: Sedna, a spherical and red object which rotates on its axis in around forty of earthly days.
Long considered as a potential planet, Sedna would, according to the researchers behind the article, be proof of the existence of a planet of a size similar to that of Earth.
The article develops this theory by explaining that the orbit of Sedna, but also those of other trans-Neptunian objects – some of which would be located outside the zone of gravitational influence of Neptune – would be linked to the possible presence of a planet of the size of the Earth.
An existence to be confirmed in the future
According to several simulations carried out by the team of researchers and indicated in the article, the potential planet would be between 1.5 to 3 times larger than planet Earth and would be located between 250 to 500 Earth-Sun distances from the Sun. As a reminder, an Earth-Sun distance is equivalent on average to 149 million kilometers.
“We predict the existence of an Earth-like planet and several trans-Neptunian objects in special orbits in the outer solar system,” wrote Patryk Sofia Lykawka and Takashi Ito, from Kindai University and astronomical observatory of Japan. They also added that “the results from the Kuiper Belt planet scenario confirm the existence of a previously undiscovered planet in the outer solar system, and also predict the existence of new populations of trans-Neptunian objects” .
According to Patryk Sofia Lykawka, “the discovery of a single or a few new trans-Neptunian objects might revolutionize our theories on the formation of the solar system.” But this would also have the impact of modifying the classification of the planets, as was the case with the demotion of Pluto to a dwarf planet in 2006.
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