In a recent study, planetary scientists Patryk Sofia Lykawka and Takashi Ito used computer simulations to investigate the mysterious Planet 9, proposing an alternative perspective on its characteristics. While astronomers Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin had previously hypothesized the existence of a Neptune-sized Planet Nine to explain the peculiar orbits of objects in the Kuiper Belt, Lykawka and Ito’s simulations suggest a different scenario.
Their research indicates that the anomalies in the Kuiper Belt’s orbits might not be fully explained by the traditional Planet Nine hypothesis. Instead, the simulations propose the presence of an undiscovered planet that is smaller and more Earth-like, with a mass about 1.5 to 3 times that of Earth. This hypothetical planet would orbit at a distance ranging from 250 to 500 times Earth’s distance from the Sun.
However, confirming the existence of this elusive Planet 9 remains a significant challenge, as it is expected to be both small and extremely distant from the Sun. Detecting it will likely require observing its gravitational influence on nearby icy objects within the Kuiper Belt. While this research offers a fresh perspective on the enigmatic Planet 9, the quest to unveil its mysteries continues through ongoing observations and investigations by astronomers.