There may actually be a ninth planet

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Our Solar System May Indeed Have 9 Planets, Paper Finds

Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC)

Scientists believe our solar system may have a mysterious ninth planet — and no, it’s not Pluto. For about a century, astronomers have had a hunch that another planet has been waiting to be discovered. And one group of researchers recently gathered some celestial clues indicating that this “Planet Nine” is more than hypothetical, per a new paper accepted for publication in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia.

The potential planet in question is about the size of Neptune, and it’s so deep into the solar system that it could take between 10,000 and 20,000 years to orbit the sun. The Earth, for reference, takes one year to complete the trip. 

Because it’s so far away, scientists used infrared surveys taken 23 years apart to measure the object’s orbital motion, and they found that the celestial body moved ever so slightly. If it’s indeed a planet, it would explain some of the mysterious clustering around the Kuiper Belt, as well as other longstanding mysteries of the universe.

“If the existence of Planet Nine can be confirmed by observations in the near future, it will improve our understanding of the history and structure of the entire solar system in early stages,” the team concluded in the paper.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

My mother told us that there were only eight planets when she was growing up.  When Pluto was dropped from the list she said "See. I told you so."

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

[Will Kane]

[Rye Miles #13621]

 Pluto is still technically a planet but it’s a dwarf planet.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto

Edited May 6 by Rye Miles #13621

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

15 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

 Pluto is still technically a planet but it’s a dwarf planet.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto

There are, thus far, five dwarf planets: Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, …. No wait….

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

let's call it Bob.   ☺

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

[Blackwater 53393]

So now we have ten planets!  Those who disregard Pluto are just plainly wrong!!

 

 

Edited May 6 by Blackwater 53393

[Will Kane]

3 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

 Pluto is still technically a planet but it’s a dwarf planet.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto

Yes. Rumor has it that, back in the early 1950s, some inhabitants of said planet, on an interplanetary research mission, got off course and ended up in Silsbee, Texas, where another strange visitor from another planet had to come to their rescue.

[watab kid]

huh , nothing like messing with our education not once when we had nine - then didnt - and now do again , im all for the exploraton and learning , but dont tell me there "IS" then "ISNT " then :"IS" if you dont know - this is not a world of concensus - its a world of facts , if you dont know afdmit it - just say we "THINK" it to be terue we are working on proving it , im still counting on pluto 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Ceres is in the asteroid belt, so it was actually promoted to dwarf planet. The other dwarfs are way out.