The Search for Planet 9: So, Where is it?

Deep Astronomy

Astronomers believe there is an undiscovered super-Earth Sized planet lurking in our outer solar system. If it exists, then astronomers think it would have an estimated mass of ten Earths, a diameter two to four times that of Earth, and an elongated orbit lasting approximately 15,000 years. So far, efforts to find this planet have failed. They are calling it Planet Nine and astronomers are seriously trying to find it. Our guests today have written a paper outlining efforts to locate this planet using WISE and NEOWISE data. They think that Planet Nine, if it exists, should be self-luminous enough and potentially bright enough in the near infrared that the NEOWISE telescope should be able to see it. Today we’ll talk about those efforts along with what WISE and NEOWISE is, why we think Planet Nine is there in the first place, and whether or not it will have any adverse effect on the Earth anytime soon.