Astronomers are continuing the search for the elusive Planet Nine, also known as Planet X, which is believed to be a hypothetical planet orbiting in the outer reaches of the solar system. A recent study submitted to The Astronomical Journal aimed to narrow down the potential locations of Planet Nine, with the hope of gaining a better understanding of the solar system’s composition and its formation.
The study, led by Dr. Mike Brown, the Richard and Barbara Rosenberg Professor of Astronomy at Caltech, utilized data from the Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System) to cover the largest region of the sky to date. By analyzing the data, the researchers were able to eliminate approximately 78% of the previously calculated possible locations of Planet Nine.
While the study did not result in the discovery of Planet Nine, it significantly narrowed down the search area, with approximately 80% of the potential regions surveyed. The researchers also provided new estimates for the approximate size of Planet Nine, suggesting a semimajor axis of 500 astronomical units (AU) and an Earth-mass size of 6.6.
Looking ahead, Dr. Brown anticipates that the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will play a crucial role in the search for Planet Nine. With the LSST expected to come online in the near future, it is poised to cover much of the search space and potentially locate Planet Nine if it exists.
