Hidden planet alert: Princeton study hints at an undiscovered distant body at the edge of the solar system

A recent study by Princeton University astronomers suggests the possible existence of a previously undetected planet in our solar system’s outer reaches.

Dubbed “Planet Y,” this hypothetical body is believed to be smaller than Earth but larger than Mercury, living somewhere in the Kuiper Belt, beyond Neptune.

While direct observation remains a goal for the scientists, the study’s authors have inferred its potential presence based on the unusual orbits of distant icy objects in that region. The scientists made clear that “this paper is not a discovery of a planet, but it’s certainly the discovery of a puzzle for which a planet is a likely solution.”

“What we found is that you actually need a planet there”

The researchers propose that Planet Y’s gravitational influence could explain the observed orbital anomalies of these objects. Their study indicates that this unseen planet might be exerting a subtle but significant pull on these distant bodies, causing their trajectories to deviate from what would be expected if only known planets were influencing them.

Lead author Amir Siraj, an astrophysicist and a doctoral candidate in the department of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University, told CNN: “We started trying to come up with explanations other than a planet that could explain the tilt, but what we found is that you actually need a planet there."

“One explanation is the presence of an unseen planet, probably smaller than the Earth and probably bigger than Mercury, orbiting in the deep outer solar system."

“I think within the first two to three years, it’ll become definitive‚” Siraj added, assuring that “if Planet Y is in the field of view of the telescope, it will be able to find it directly.” A new observatory in Chile, equipped with the world’s largest digital camera, is set to begin a comprehensive 10-year survey of the night sky, aiming to map and study objects in the outer solar system. The researchers hope that this project will provide the detailed observations needed to confirm or refute the existence of Planet Y.

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