A Cosmic Mystery Unveiled

The quest for the mythical Planet Nine has fascinated astronomers for years, and new revelations from a study by Terry Long Phan and his team at Cambridge University have injected fresh energy into this long-standing mystery. Using far-infrared data from the IRAS and AKARI all-sky surveys, they may have pinpointed a tantalizing candidate that aligns with the characteristics of the elusive Planet Nine.

The Enigma Beyond Neptune

The vast expanse of our Solar System, teeming with planets, moons, and other celestial bodies, hides potential secrets beyond Neptune. The concept of Planet Nine emerged in 2016, proposed by astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown, who observed odd orbital patterns among trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). These distant bodies seem under the gravitational influence of an unseen giant—one that dwarfs Earth and lies far beyond Pluto.

Despite extensive searches conducted with some of the most powerful telescopes on Earth, the existence of Planet Nine remains unproven. Attempts to directly observe it have been elusive, as astronomers continue to refine their models predicting its whereabouts.

A Game-Changing Approach with Infrared Surveys

In their groundbreaking study, researchers utilized the unique 23-year interval between the IRAS and AKARI surveys, which enabled them to identify slow-moving objects that are expected to drift by approximately 3 arcminutes per year—a movement characteristic of a massive, distant planet.

Central to their discovery was the AKARI Far-Infrared Monthly Unconfirmed Source List (AKARI-MUSL), a catalog crafted to detect faint, moving celestial sources. The team estimated Planet Nine’s brightness and movement based on theoretical models positing a mass between 7 and 17 times that of Earth and distances ranging from 500 to 700 astronomical units (AU).

Through meticulous analysis and precise criteria for positional and flux matching between the two surveys, the team initially identified 13 candidate pairs with separations consistent with the predicted orbit of Planet Nine. After thorough evaluations and visual inspections, they narrowed it down to one particularly compelling candidate.

A Leading Candidate Emerges

This promising candidate displayed key indicators expected of a Planet Nine-like body; the IRAS and AKARI sources showed an angular separation between 42 and 69.6 arcminutes. Notably, there were no repeated detections at the same position across both surveys. Further validation came from AKARI detection probability maps, which confirmed the object's consistency with the anticipated motion of a slow-moving celestial entity, revealing detectability only within the expected timeframes, and none six months prior.

As the hunt for Planet Nine intensifies, this recent discovery shines a brighter light on the search for answers in our Solar System's hidden corners, fueling excitement among astronomers and enthusiasts alike!