Planet Nine, the elusive, theoretical ninth planet in our solar system whose existence was posited by two Caltech astronomers last month, has remained undiscovered. NASA’s Cassini probe, however, might be able to change all of that, as it has now been enlisted to join the hunt for the mysterious ninth planet.
According to Space.com, the existence of the ninth planet in our solar system is based on modeling, not actual observation. Caltech astronomers Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin have theorized the existence of another planet in our solar system that exists far beyond even the dwarf planet Pluto.
Though it has yet to be observed, the astronomers say that it might be easily discovered via a concentrate effort from high powered telescopes. Enter the Cassini probe, which has been studying Saturn and taking beautiful, high-resolution photos of the planet and its surrounding areas since 2005.
The information discovered with the Cassini probe has already assisted scientists in creating more realistic models of the solar system. With some more refinements to Cassini’s data gathering, it might be able to discover the shy ninth planet, whose mass is thought to be over ten times that of Earth’s.
Planet Nine’s existence was predicted by astronomers through observations of the six relatively large space bodies beyond Pluto. Scientists are hopeful that one of these space bodies might be the elusive, massive Planet Nine. However, critics of this theory posit that the planet might not even exist at all and are wary of its not having been observed yet.
NASA’s Cassini probe might be able to answer the question of whether or not the planet exists at all.