Planet Projected at Solar System's Edge

gLing · 02-29-2008, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Scientists at a Japanese university said Thursday they believed another planet up to two-thirds the size of the Earth was orbiting in the far reaches of the solar system.

The researchers at Kobe University in western Japan said calculations using computer simulations led them to conclude it was only a matter of time before the mysterious "Planet X" was found.

"Because of the very cold temperature, its surface would be covered with ice, icy ammonia and methane," Kobe University professor Tadashi Mukai, the lead researcher, told AFP.

The study by Mukai and researcher Patryk Lykawka will be published in the April issue of the Astronomical Journal.

"The possibility is high that a yet unknown, planet-class celestial body, measuring 30 percent to 70 percent of the Earth's mass, exists in the outer edges of the solar system," said a summary of the research released by Kobe University.

"If research is conducted on a wide scale, the planet is likely to be discovered in less than 10 years," it said.

Planet X--so called by scientists as it is yet unfound--would have an oblong elliptical solar orbit and circle the sun every thousand years, the team said, estimating its radius was 15 to 26 billion kilometers.

Discovery News : Discovery Channel

Sparkey Duck · 02-29-2008, 03:54 PM

Is this an actual orbital independent planet though or just another member of the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt?

gLing · 02-29-2008, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkey Duck

Is this an actual orbital independent planet though or just another member of the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt?

They think there is an actual planet out there. Even if it is in the kuiper belt it will be considered a planet if it is above a certain size.

Sparkey Duck · 02-29-2008, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gLing

They think there is an actual planet out there. Even if it is in the kuiper belt it will be considered a planet if it is above a certain size.

Fair point.. let's hope they find something soon

gLing · 02-29-2008, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkey Duck

Fair point.. let's hope they find something soon

I'm still mad they demoted pluto a few years ago.

Sparkey Duck · 02-29-2008, 04:05 PM

Same here it made the massive universe that little bit smaller somehow?

but with objects like sedna being found its days were numbered

02-29-2008, 03:54 PM	#2
Sparkey Duck Avian anonymous Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Down at the bottom of the garden. Posts: 2,614 Tokenz: 336	Re: Planet Projected at Solar System's Edge Is this an actual orbital independent planet though or just another member of the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt? __________________ ...and so i said to my Doctor, "you can keep your Somatopsychic depersonalisation theories thank you very much. I've had some pretty flipped out dreams where i'm anthropomorphizing into various aquatic life forms, but a diagnosis like that will serve only to encourage me!"

02-29-2008, 04:05 PM	#6
Sparkey Duck Avian anonymous Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Down at the bottom of the garden. Posts: 2,614 Tokenz: 336	Re: Planet Projected at Solar System's Edge Same here it made the massive universe that little bit smaller somehow? but with objects like sedna being found its days were numbered __________________ ...and so i said to my Doctor, "you can keep your Somatopsychic depersonalisation theories thank you very much. I've had some pretty flipped out dreams where i'm anthropomorphizing into various aquatic life forms, but a diagnosis like that will serve only to encourage me!"

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