The hunt for Planet Nine reveals some strange, far-out objects

Los Angeles Times ^ | 2 Sept, 2016 | Amina Khan

[MtnClimber]

Astronomers hunting for Planet Nine have found some 50 new objects lying beyond the orbit of Neptune – including a few that may help them track down this elusive, distant world.

The new discoveries, described in a paper accepted to the Astronomical Journal, mark another step toward finding this mysterious giant planet, which could help rewrite our understanding of our own solar system.

In 2014, astronomers Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science and Chadwick Trujillo of Northern Arizona University announced that they’d found an object with the most distant orbit ever observed in the solar system – a possible dwarf planet called 2012 VP113 that lay far beyond Pluto.

2012 VP113 (nicknamed “Biden”) was a baffling object, because its orbit placed it in what was thought to be a no man’s land between the Kuiper belt (the icy ring of distant debris whose largest member is Pluto) and the Oort cloud, a far-out, spherical shell of debris that scientists think surrounds the solar system..............

The scientists noticed something else strange: 2012 VP113 and Sedna both seemed to be making their closest approach to the sun at similar angles. This could mean that something big, far out in the darkness, was tugging on both their orbits in the same way.

[MtnClimber]

They talk about planet 9 like there is good evidence it exists. I think there is only slight evidence it exists.

[The Sons of Liberty]

strange, far-out objects

It's evident why they named this object "Biden".

[Jack Hydrazine]

[yarddog]

Who gets to decide what is a planet? I can’t imagine anyone with that authority.

I still think Pluto is one.

[BillyBoy]

>> They talk about planet 9 like there is good evidence it exists. I think there is only slight evidence it exists. <<

There is excellent evidence that it is exists, as we just sent a probe to visit it last year. It's called Pluto. It's still a planet whether the IAU wants to admit that or not.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Does it grope small moons?

[COBOL2Java]

Colonel Edwards: "Why is it so important that you want to contact the governments of our earth?"

Eros: "Because of death. Because all you of Earth are idiots!"

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(Oh...you said planet nine...)

[wastedyears]

No gravity well, no reflecting the sun’s light... sounds bogus to me.

[Zeneta]

Planet Nine?

That’s just stupid.

Should have named it “Planet Claire”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47YAcpCa5dM

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“Does it grope small moons?”

The same way Bill Clinton does!

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“sounds bogus to me.”

Hey! Leave me out of it!

[Hot Tabasco]

a possible dwarf planet called 2012 VP113 that lay far beyond Pluto.

You'd think they could come up with a better name for a planet than 2012 VP113.......I think "Mickey" would be much more appropriate and easier to remember.

But since it's a "dwarf" planet, how about "Grumpy"? Or I could come up with six other suggestions........

[BradyLS]

Poor Pluto. It never got a victory lap after being discovered and declared a planet back in 1930.

[Zeneta]

They,

“Blinded Me With Science”

[jmacusa]

Plan Nine came from Planet Nine! It all makes sense now!

[Pontiac]

The Guardian (and others) published this over two years ago

Dwarf planet discovery hints at a hidden Super Earth in solar system .

[NYer]

Ping!

[Texaspeptoman]

“Does it grope small moons?”

The same way Bill Clinton does!

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... but only in half-phase.

[j.argese]

How'd yah like to be "Uranus"?

cue snickers of 6th grade boys.