Planet 9 Update for 10/15/2017 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

There are five indicators suggesting the existence of Planet Nine, including the alignment and tilt of six objects in the Kuiper belt, the strange tilt of the solar system's plane, and the orbit direction of inner Kuiper belt objects.

Key Insights

• 🔍 Five indicators, including the alignment and tilt of objects in the Kuiper belt, the strange tilt of the solar system's plane, and the opposite orbit direction of inner Kuiper belt objects, suggest the existence of Planet Nine.
• 🤨 The potential existence of Planet Nine raises questions about the origin and nature of this distant planet.
• 🦸 It could explain the absence of a super earth in our solar system, possibly due to its migration or capture from another system.
• 💁 Discovering Planet Nine could provide insights into the formation and characteristics of planets in other solar systems.

Transcript

This is an update in my continuing coverage of Planet Nine, a suspected large planet that could be lurking out in the far reaches of the outer solar system. Evidence continues to mount for its existence through its gravitational effects, and if it's there, visual discovery could come at any time. There are now five separate reasons to suspect the e... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the three indicators of Planet Nine's existence based on the objects in the Kuiper belt?

The three indicators include the alignment of their elliptical orbits in the same direction, the tilt of their orbits out of the solar system's plane, and the characteristic tilt predicted by computer simulations.

Q: Why is the strange tilt of the solar system's plane significant in relation to Planet Nine?

The tilt of the solar system's plane could be explained by the gravitational influence of Planet Nine, as its presence would cause the plane to wobble slightly over time.

Q: How does Planet Nine explain the opposite orbit direction of inner Kuiper belt objects?

The gravity of Planet Nine would provide a ready explanation for the opposite orbit direction of inner Kuiper belt objects, as its presence could influence their motion.

Q: What are the two possibilities regarding the origin of Planet Nine?

Planet Nine may have either migrated outward from the inner solar system or been captured by the sun from another system, making it an exoplanet addition to our solar system.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The alignment and tilt of six objects in the Kuiper belt indicate the presence of a large gravitational source, potentially Planet Nine.

• The strange tilt of the solar system's plane, about 6 degrees in respect to the sun's equator, could be explained by the gravitational effect of Planet Nine.

• The orbit direction of inner Kuiper belt objects, which is opposite to everything else in the solar system, could also be influenced by the gravity of Planet Nine.