Is there a hidden planet in our solar system?

Posted on Wednesday, 16 May, 2012 | Comment icon

66 comments | News tip by: MaKaElectric

Image credit: NASA

An undiscovered planet four times larger than the Earth could be lurking in the outer solar system.

Astronomer Rodney Gomes of the National Observatory of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro has claimed that several Kuiper belt objects including the dwarf planet Sedna are in strange orbits and that a new undiscovered planet could be to blame. He presented his findings at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society on Tuesday.

Other astronomers have been intrigued by Gomes' claims however most agree that more evidence is needed to confirm them. "Obviously, finding another planet in the solar system is a big deal," said astronomer Rory Barnes. "What he showed in his probability arguments is that it's slightly more likely. He doesn't have a smoking gun yet."

For the new work, Gomes analyzed the orbits of 92 Kuiper belt objects, then compared his results to computer models of how the bodies should be distributed, with and without an additional planet.

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Source: National Geographic

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#57 Posted by cormac mac airt on 21 May, 2012, 18:10

Not really as the evidence suggests that the impactors didn't hit at the same time. Unless you see a period covering approximately 190,000 years (Boltysh to Chicxulub) as 'at the same time'. Further evidence also shows that the dinosaurs were already in decline prior to the Chicxulub impactor and there were still representatives living as much as 300,000 years after the event. Not exactly an 'at the same time, mass extinction' now is it? cormac

#58 Posted by Erudite Celt on 21 May, 2012, 18:54

@ cormac In reality the four sites you cite have date ranges that demonstrably overlap one-another so it would be quite pointless and indeed impossible to pin down the year,month,day and hour. I simply believe [ though not without good reason ] they hit em-mass, most of course would have ended up in Jupiter's belly while others lingered and became trapped in the asteroid belts, others became companions of the planets such as Phobos and Deimos. If it had of been a genuine mass extinction event 65 million years ago,then you and I Sir would not be exchanging these words here!

#59 Posted by cormac mac airt on 21 May, 2012, 19:10

If it wasn't a genuine mass extinction then there really is no reason to bring it up as such. That was, after all, your theory. Right? cormac

#60 Posted by Erudite Celt on 21 May, 2012, 19:42

All but a small few percent of reptiles disappeared from the face of the earth. Only the smallest of the mammals survived. The terrestrial earth that previous to the event was 80% forested became 5-15% forested. Mass extinction as you well know can mean many things. But if another Chicxulub were to hit earth tomorrow I think most people would [those that had survived] say that the world had ended, that the world had just undergone a mass extinction event. But in a literal sense mass extinction would mean that not even single nanobacteria would survive. But no...my main point was to float t... [More]

#61 Posted by shaddow134 on 21 May, 2012, 20:20

Only 35% of animal species have to die to call it a mass extinction. The five largest mass extinctions in Earth's history occurred during: The late Ordovician period (about 438 million years ago) - 100 families extinct - more than half of the bryozoan and brachiopod species extinct. The late Devonian (about 360 mya) - 30% of animal families extinct. At the end of the Permian period (about 245 mya) - Trilobites go extinct. 50% of all animal families, 95% of all marine species, and many trees die out. The late Triassic (208 mya) - 35% of all animal families die out. Most early dinosaur... [More]

#62 Posted by cormac mac airt on 21 May, 2012, 20:38

So we have around 48 million, 115 million, 37 million and 143 million years between each. Yep, definitely not 200 - 250 million years. cormac

#63 Posted by Lightingbird on 23 May, 2012, 14:08

I have had this discussion with a few people and despite all of the possibly, I just don't see a planet hurling through our solar system on a collision with earth. Then on top of that, no one has seen it? Didn't this whole theory come from a book or something?

#64 Posted by Kratology on 24 May, 2012, 1:46

It's a space station

#65 Posted by DBunker on 24 May, 2012, 16:14

Dont you just love it when the some Planet X slingers start talking about Remote Viewing when we ask for evidence of their claims.

#66 Posted by Archimedes on 24 May, 2012, 18:55

Where are you getting your information from? 1) If there is a 50 million uncertainty (200-250 million years) in the cycles you are proposing, then that's a 20% margin of error. You have a very odd idea of how accurate Swiss watches are if they can be fast or slow by 20%, imagine a watch that when you wound it, could be 5 hours off 24 hours later. Swiss precision? I don't think so. 2) Can you list the events that you are talking about that have happened with the precision of a Swiss watch?

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