Astronomers are close to confirming the existence of a hypothetical Planet 9. If the planet does exist, they are saying our own sun may have stolen the planet away from another star long ago. With an exoplanet now hiding in our backyard, NASA is excited at the opportunity to explore our new neighbor and potentially search for signs of aliens.
ASTRONOMERS MAY HAVE FOUND PLANET 9
Earlier this year, astronomers from the California Insititute of Technology announced the possible discovery of Planet 9. The new world is apparently 10 times the size of Earth and thought to lie in the outer reaches of our solar system. No astronomers have physically seen the exoplanet but they have guessed it’s existence by looking at strange orbits of small bodies in the Kuiper Belt. The debate on how it formed, and if it has aliens on board, is still underway.
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM STOLE ALIENS FROM ANOTHER STAR
Astronomers believe that Planet 9 may have formed within our solar system. Originally, it was closer to our sun and then cast far out to the Kuiper Belt. A new study, however, brings to light a more creative theory. Astronomers think that our system could have stolen Planet 9 from another star more than 4.5 billion years ago. Back then, our sun and other stars were much closer to each other. When the sun began to depart, it may have brought a few orbiting planets along with it. Perhaps there was more than Planet 9 that came along for the ride. NASA hopes to find out the details and explore the possibility of aliens.
NASA CURIOUS AND CAUTIOUS
While news that Planet Nine has brought great excitement to NASA and researchers alike, the agency is being cautious in their claims. According to Jim Green, NASA’s director of planetary science, it’s just too early to make any assumptions. For that reason, they agency will proceed with caution. If aliens were to exist on this distant planet, it doesn’t seem that NASA will be rushing to meet them anytime soon. On the other hand, perhaps they’ve encountered these aliens long ago and are attempting to quiet down the hype surrounding their distant home.
