WEB DESK: Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery indicating a potential increase in the number of planets within our solar system, unveiling the existence of a hidden planet.
Previously, the scientific community acknowledged eight planets in our galaxy, a count that controversially excluded Pluto after its demotion in 2006.
Astronomers have identified a 7 percent probability of another planet lurking in Earth’s vicinity, concealed within the Oort cloud—a vast, icy realm of debris located tens of thousands of times farther from the sun than Earth.
“It’s entirely conceivable that our solar system has captured such a planet from the Oort cloud,” remarked Nathan Kaib, an astronomer at the Planetary Science Institute and co-author of the research.
If confirmed, the planet would likely be an ice giant, residing in a significantly elongated orbit similar to other surviving planets with eccentric paths shaped by turbulent histories.
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“The surviving planets bear eccentric orbits, akin to scars from their tumultuous pasts,” explained lead author Sean Raymond, a researcher at the University of Bordeaux’s Astrophysics Laboratory.
Despite compelling evidence, scientists remain cautious about definitive confirmation of the planet’s presence. “Detection would be exceedingly challenging,” noted Raymond.
Malena Rice, an astronomer at MIT not involved in the study, emphasised the difficulty of identifying such planets within our own cosmic neighborhood. “Interestingly, spotting planets hundreds of light-years away can sometimes be easier than those right in our backyard.”
The ongoing quest to understand our solar system’s dynamics continues, promising further revelations into its potentially expanded planetary family.
