New Study on Ninth Planet

  • IASbaba
  • September 20, 2021
  • 0
UPSC Articles
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

New Study on Ninth Planet

Part of: Prelims and GS III – Awareness in space 

Context: In the continued search for the hypothetical ninth planet in our Solar System, Michael Brown, the astronomer who led the demotion of Pluto to a dwarf planet in 2006, has co-written a new study that claims to have narrowed the region the potential new planet could be located.

Key takeaways

  • The study proposes “Planet Nine” exists beyond Neptune and is six times the mass of Earth.
  • The new study also includes a “treasure map” of the planet’s likely orbit that the scientists said lasts around 7,400 Earth years and is closer to the Sun than the 2016 study found.
  • A closer orbit to the Sun would make the planet brighter and easier to see.
  • Planet Nine would probably be a cold gas giant like Neptune, the farthest known planet in a Solar System from the Sun.
    • Neptune has a nonsolid surface made up mostly of hydrogen, helium, and methane, according to NASA.

For a dedicated peer group, Motivation & Quick updates, Join our official telegram channel – https://t.me/IASbabaOfficialAccount

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel HERE to watch Explainer Videos, Strategy Sessions, Toppers Talks & many more…

Search now.....

Sign Up To Receive Regular Updates