Scientists from Spain’s Complutense University of Madrid and England’s University of Cambridge believe that there may be at least two additional planets in the solar system. These planets are unlikely to be found beyond Pluto and Neptune. They believe that if the hypothesis of scientists is proven, it will revolutionize models for solar systems. For decades, scientists have debated the possibility of additional planets beyond Pluto in our solar system. The latest research suggests that there could be two additional planets. This would account for the unusual orbital behavior observed in extreme trans-Neptunian (ETNO) objects. This means that the strange orbital behaviour and unusual distribution of objects beyond Neptune cannot be explained scientifically unless there is at least one unknown planet beyond Pluto or Neptune. The most widely accepted theory states that the orbits of the objects should travel beyond Neptune. However, this should not be the case. Instead, they should have an orbit with an approximate 150AU value, an inclination close to zero, and an argument (or angle of perihelion) which is also very close to 0deg, 180deg. (AU) = astronomical units or the Earth-to Sun distance. Astronomers think there are at least two other unknown planets that lie beyond Pluto and Neptune. Scientists found that the results of twelve bodies were very different. The values of the semi-major axis were very disperse (from 150 AU to 525 AU), the average inclination of their orbit was about 20deg, and argument of Perihelion -31deg – in none of the cases were they close to 180deg. Carlos de la Fuente Marcos (an astronomer at UCM) said that this study was co-authored. He stated that “Kozai” refers to the effect of large masses on orbits of smaller, distant objects. As a reference, they considered how this mechanism works in the case of a comet and large planet – comet 96P/Machholz1 and Jupiter. These results, and the subsequent proposal by the scientists go against the current theories that explain how the solar system formed. Current models state that other than Neptune and Pluto, there is no planet moving in circular orbits. The ALMA radio telescope discovered a disk that formed planets at 100 AUs of HL Tauri, which is the parent star. This suggests that there are many 100 AUs where planets could form. So far, the analysis is based on very few objects (just 13). The team plans to publish results from more objects over the next few months. Mr. de la Fuente said “If it is confirmed, our results may be truly revolutionary for astronomy.” In 2014, two American scientists discovered a dwarf planet (called 2012 VP113) in the Oort cloud, a spherical cloud of mainly icy planetesimals believed to surround our Sun at a distance of up to 50,000 AUs. The comet orbit may be influenced by an icy and dark super-Earth that is up to 10 times larger than ours. References: “Flipping minor bodies: what comet 96P/Machholz 1 can tell us about the orbital evolution of extreme trans-Neptunian objects and the production of near-Earth objects on retrograde orbits,” Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, Raul de la Fuente Marcos, and Sverre J. Aarseth. Monthly Notices from the Royal Astronomical Society 446(2) 1867-1873, 2015. C. de la Fuente Marcos and R. de la Fuente Marcos. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters 443(1): L59-L63, 2014.
There may be two or more undiscovered planets in the Solar System.
