patrick.net

Ninth Planet May Exist Beyond Pluto, Scientists Report

There might be a ninth planet in the solar system after all, and it is not Pluto.

Two astronomers reported on Wednesday that they had compelling signs of something bigger and farther away — something that would satisfy the current definition of a planet, where Pluto falls short.

“We are pretty sure there's one out there,” said Michael E. Brown, a professor of planetary astronomy at the California Institute of Technology.

For the calculations to work, the planet would be at least an equal to Earth, and most likely much bigger — perhaps a mini-Neptune, with a small but thick atmosphere surrounding a rocky core and mass about 10 times that of Earth. That would be 4,500 times the mass of Pluto.

Dr. Brown said that he had begun searching for the planet, and that he thought he would be able to find it within five years.

Doc Brown continues that he'll announce tomorrow whether or not he finds the planet in the next five years. When asked how he could know this, Brown explained...

www.EhU862ONFys

#scitech