Scientists have said that there is huge possibility of existence of at least two new planets that are hidden beyond our farthest planet Pluto and belong to our solar system.
The astronomers came to the conclusion following calculations of the orbits of cosmic bodies present in the regions that are beyond Neptune. These regions include the Oort cloud, the Kuiper Belt and the scattered disk.
These cosmic bodies, also called extreme trans-Neptunian objects (ETNOs), are expected to carry two planets that are larger than our planet Earth. Scientists said it seems these bodies are only waiting to be discovered as new planets. They further said the planets’ existence could possibly help in explaining the orbital behavior of ETNOs.
Study author Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, of the Complutense University of Madrid, said that the surplus of objects having unpredicted orbital parameters indicates that some never seen forces transform the distribution of the orbital element of ETNOs.
The researcher said that the most reasonable account for this is that other planets that have not yet been uncovered exist beyond Neptune and Pluto.
“It is highly uncertain to reveal the exact number, given that the data that we have is limited, the astrophysicist said while adding, “But our calculations suggest that there are at least two planets, and probably more, within the confines of our solar system.”
According to the researchers, the undiscovered world that is possibly existent is expected to be located at least 200 AU from the Sun. The researchers said this distance is so much far that it would be a very tedious job or even next to impossible to identify these using presently available instruments.
The study’s findings are detailed in two articles in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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