The early Solar System was a turbulent and chaotic place with icy material hurled far from the Sun, becoming the Oort Cloud. Larger objects and planets were probably hurled into the Oort Cloud too, and some might have been kicked out of the Solar System entirely. If a similar situation happened in other star systems, planets could lurk out in the Oort Cloud.
  • wet_lettuce@beehaw.org
    5·
    1 year ago

    I went to a talk at the air and space Smithsonian museum in DC where Mike Brown talked about his hypothesis that “Planet X” is out there. Hes done some brilliant math and research and can show that a planet should be there, he just has to find it.

    This was years ago and I haven’t kept up with it but I know he was trying to get time on the Subaru telescope in Hawaii to try and find it.

    This sounds like very similar hypothesis-es? (Hypothesii ?)

    https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/hypothetical-planet-x/in-depth/

    • kittenroar@beehaw.org
      2·
      1 year ago

      I was thinking about planet X, too! If it exists, maybe it’s a captured exoplanet. That would be pretty cool.

        • KIM_JONG_JUICEBOX@beehaw.org
          1·
          1 year ago

          I always heard it as Planet X. But someone else comments below it is now more common to refer to it as planet nine.

          Though OPs article is suggesting there could be many such planets.

          I also thought they were speculating that Planet X was huge. Though I can’t remember anymore it’s been too long since I followed this story.

          • Declamatie
            1·
            1 year ago

            I think disagreement about the planet status of Pluto may be what’s behind the different names.