Hypothetical Planet X 1

Hypothetical Planet X

George French and Zane Vandivere

9/12/2018
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Abstract

This article was published by NASA this year, 2018. It provides a brief description of the

current research surrounding the search for the unobserved, hypothetical ninth planet in our solar

system. Researchers have made calculations that have enabled them to draw a hypothetical orbit

that they say Planet X should follow, accounting for the distortions they have observed in the

original eight planets. To date, no astronomer has visibly seen Planet X, due to the fact that its

orbit will, on average, be 20 times farther from the sun than Earth. It is also believed to be about

10 times more massive than Earth and take about 10,000 to 20,000 Earth years to orbit the sun.

The researchers’ predictions are based on detailed mathematical modeling and computer

simulations. These are rough estimations, so, combined with the fact that even the closest part of

orbit would be very far away, it is clear why Planet X is difficult to find.
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Materials and Method

In early 2015, the first evidence for a ninth planet was presented by a couple of Caltech

astronomers. The inquiry started when astronomers started questioning the strangely elongated

orbits of distant objects in the Kuiper Belt. Using a myriad of computer simulations and

mathematics, the researchers were able to derive models on what the orbit and mass of Planet X

should be. Their procedure included analyzing all sizeable objects with an orbital radius larger

than that of Neptune, currently the farthest planet in our solar system from the Sun. They were

also able to study the patterns of small clusters of dwarf planets and asteroids beyond the orbit of

Pluto. Using this data, they were able to estimate what the gravitational force must be that this

object exerts on these objects. This lead to the final conclusion on what Planet X’s mass should

be, which is 10 times that of Earth.

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Analysis

Above is a representation (Hypothetical Planet X) of the ecliptic orbits of the current

eight solar planets.. The left picture is it demonstrated mathematically and the right is a more

visual way of showing the orbits of the planets.

The above photo (Batygin, Brown) is a drawing of where Planet X’s orbit would fit into

our model of the solar system. As you can see, it is very much alienated from the rest of the

planets for the majority of its orbit. This is the primary reason why it is so hard to locate.
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References

(January 23, 2018). Hypothetical Planet X. NASA. Retrieved from

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

Batygin, K. & Brown M. Evidence for a Distant Giant Planet in the Solar System. Retrieved

from http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/0004-6256/151/2/22#aj522495s2.