Planet Nine: does it exist?

[GrieferLord]

It could be either or, or alternatively it could be the shattered remains of a destroyed planet on the outer rim. which would be equally interesting.

[Kyng]

It could be either or, or alternatively it could be the shattered remains of a destroyed planet on the outer rim. which would be equally interesting.

Could well be - although then, the obvious question would be "What destroyed it?". There's not much that lurks out there - that we know of, at least!

[GrieferLord]

It could be either or, or alternatively it could be the shattered remains of a destroyed planet on the outer rim. which would be equally interesting.

Could well be - although then, the obvious question would be "What destroyed it?". There's not much that lurks out there - that we know of, at least! 

True, though like all things it could have been natural, the core could have collapsed and or a massive stellar impact. alternatively an alien race could have used it as a testing ground or what have you. either way its just an alternate theory.

[Detective Osprey]

I like the aliens idea. We have no idea where they are, so maybe they're hiding at the edge of universe?

[Kyng]

Now, some new research has suggested that Planet Nine might actually be a primordial black hole:

https://phys.org/news/2019-09-planet-pri...-hole.html

Sounds like a pretty extraordinary claim... and, if it's true, then it'll be difficult to find this black hole. Obviously we won't be able to see it - and, it's so small that we won't be able to detect its Hawking radiation.

I just hope nobody in the far future runs into it by mistake!

[JHG]

Yeah, I'll admit that I miss it sometimes. I mean, I completely understand the scientific justification for demoting it - but, even so, I grew up with Pluto being a planet !

Think of it this way-Pluto got a promotion. From smallest planet to largest Kuiper Belt object.

[Kyng]

Yeah, I'll admit that I miss it sometimes. I mean, I completely understand the scientific justification for demoting it - but, even so, I grew up with Pluto being a planet !

Think of it this way-Pluto got a promotion. From smallest planet to largest Kuiper Belt object.

I guess that's one way of thinking about it !

Then again, it depends on whether or not Eris is larger. (According to current estimates, Eris is a smidge smaller than Pluto, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if subsequent measurements resulted in those estimates being revised one day)

[Kyng]

Apparently, scientists have found a plan to check whether Planet Nine is a black hole. It involves the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) mission - which will be able to detect accretion flares from black holes in that region of the Solar System:

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists...-hole.html

However, according to this website, the survey isn't scheduled to begin until October 2022 - so, it might be a while before we see the results.

[SpookyZalost]

So I personally think it's a planet that was thrown into the outer solar system during the gas planet migration.  In fact it's often theorized that there was a 5th gas planet and it's entirely possible a gas planet core that was stripped of it's atmosphere is what's been disrupting the orbits.

Furthermore it could explain a few things like how Venus slowly spins backwards, often thought to be caused by a close pass or grazing impact, or how the asteroid belt could be at least in part, a planet that was either disrupted during formation or ripped apart.

This would all also line up fairly well with the expected orbit of planet nine.  But that's just my own thoughts on the matter.

[Kyng]

So I personally think it's a planet that was thrown into the outer solar system during the gas planet migration.  In fact it's often theorized that there was a 5th gas planet and it's entirely possible a gas planet core that was stripped of it's atmosphere is what's been disrupting the orbits.

Furthermore it could explain a few things like how Venus slowly spins backwards, often thought to be caused by a close pass or grazing impact, or how the asteroid belt could be at least in part, a planet that was either disrupted during formation or ripped apart.

This would all also line up fairly well with the expected orbit of planet nine.  But that's just my own thoughts on the matter.

Yeah, I had heard a while back that the orbital mechanics of the Solar System were easier to explain if there had been a fifth large planet - but, I haven't looked into it in detail.

Makes sense to me - although, considering I want it to be a ninth planet, I can't say I'm looking at the evidence objectively right now !