Comments on: The Possibility Of Planet Nine

By: Valbona Pupa

Valbona Pupa — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 16:43:16 +0000

Good search for the Giant Planet in the Solar System but you need to search mostly in the Entry Milky Way.There is to much interesting I hope one day you going to find same thing

By: Brian Koberlein

Brian Koberlein — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 16:15:14 +0000

Regardless of the controversy, there are currently 8 official planets in the solar system. Calling this a possible 9th planet is perfectly acceptable. Given it’s hypothetical size it would not be a dwarf planet, and would add to the current 8. You may not like the current planet definition, but it is in no way disingenuous to use the current definition.

By: tony

tony — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 02:30:24 +0000

Hi Brian.
Where did you get the diagram showing the “Zone of Search” with the Subaru Telescope?
The paper doesn’t seem to mention this.
Do they have any reason to suspect that it is presently in this part of its orbit, other than the fact that objects spend more time near aphelion than perihelion?

Here’s a simulation I made to show just how slowly “Planet 9” moves against the background stars. It’s movement is much more parallax than its own motion. I placed the planet near perihelion to maximize the motion.

https://twitter.com/tony873004/status/690393769229819904

By: laurel2000

laurel2000 — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 21:25:13 +0000

If there is a large planet out there, it is NOT the ninth planet but more like the 15th. In referring to this potential object as “Planet Nine,” Brown is being extremely disingenuous by portraying his view of the solar system and planet definition as THE view when this is far from the case. He is once again promoting his obsession that he somehow “killed” planet Pluto.
It is unfortunate that the media repeat his position without acknowledging the reality is that the IAU definition is just one among many currently in use.

Numerous planetary scientists continue to reject the controversial IAU planet definition, which was adopted by only four percent of the organization, most of whom were not planetary scientists but other types of astronomers. That petition was immediately rejected by hundreds of professional astronomers, who reject the notion that an object has to clear its orbit to be a planet.

Brown deliberately chose the term “ninth planet” knowing it would be repeated ad nauseam by the media, most of whom simply rewrite what is written in the press release.

Dwarf planets ARE planets too, and their discovery means that far more than two full planets have been discovered in the last two centuries. The solar system’s current planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Charon, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris–and counting.

By: Brian Rossman

Brian Rossman — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 01:20:10 +0000

They are dwarf planets or detached objects. If you look at the labels on the top graphic most of the labels have Wikipedia pages.

By: William

William — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 18:16:10 +0000

Are current measurements of the motions of nearby stars accurate enough to extrapolate backwards and calculate (possibly statistically) their close passages to our system? And the resulting gravitational influences?

By: Brian Drourr

Brian Drourr — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 18:04:27 +0000

I think,i more finite definition of what a planet is will be needed before we can truly call this one. Otherwise we would also need to reinclude Pluto making #9.

By: Jpatrick

Jpatrick — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 17:18:26 +0000

This paper is getting a lot of publicity. It will be interesting to see whether the the sky surveys can locate something. Speculation is that Pluto is 10,000 times brighter “Planet Nine”. Not sure whether that guess applies only to visible light.

By: RichK

RichK — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 14:45:36 +0000

what/are/the/other/six/bodies/called?