The Kuiper Belt Mystery: will we have nine planets again?

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Jeanie Zeng

 

Image result for why do we think planet nine exists
Artist’s rendition of Planet Nine

 

It’s the planet furthest from the sun. No, it’s not Neptune. It’s Planet Nine.

Cold, icy, and shrouded in darkness, Planet Nine is potentially an undiscovered planet lurking in the outer regions of our solar system just beyond the Kuiper Belt. It’s estimated to be 10 times the mass of Earth and reside at a distance 20 times farther away than Neptune. It would take this planet around 10,000 to 20,000 years to orbit the sun just once.

A lot of mystery surrounds this hypothetical planet. It’s been hyped as a potential “super Earth”, which are rocky worlds that are larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. So-called “super Earths” have been calculated to be exceedingly common in our universe but are seemingly missing from our solar system. An article from The New York Post even suggested that this was “the mystery planet that could destroy the Earth.”

But what makes us think a planet like this even exists in the first place?

According to Caltech planetary astrophysicist, Konstantin Batygin, there are currently “five different lines of observational evidence pointing to the existence of Planet Nine” and if you presumed Planet Nine did not exist, “then you [would] generate more problems than you solve.” You would have “five different puzzles” that required five different theories to explain the observed phenomena.

The first three clues of this planet’s existence were published in the Astronomical Journal in 2016 by Batygin and his fellow Caltech colleague, Mike Brown. These clues were that:

1. Six known objects in the Kuiper Belt were observed to have elliptical orbits all pointing in the same direction, an extremely unlikely phenomena.

2. In contrast to the flat plane of our planets’ orbits around the sun, these objects were also tilted 30 degrees below the solar system’s orbital plane. The odds of six Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) randomly traveling in a cluster with this tightness and orientation were calculated to be one in a thousand.

3. Computer simulations of Planet X dictated that there should be more objects inclined 90 degrees to the solar system plane. Research proved that there were already five known objects that fit this description.

The next clue was discovered by Batygin’s graduate student, Elizabeth Bailey, who showed through analytical models of Planet Nine that:

4. Planet Nine’s natural influence on the orbits of other planets could be sufficient enough to account for our solar system plane’s wobble and the planets’ 6 degree tilt off of the sun’s equator.

The last clue came from the fact that “no other model can explain the weirdness of the high-inclination orbits” of certain KBOs according to Batygin. Essentially:

5. Planet Nine’s existence explained the objects in the Kuiper Belt that orbited in the opposite direction from everything else in the solar system. Batygin’s model showed that “these things have been twisted out of the solar system plane with help from Planet Nine and then scattered inward by Neptune.”

 

In addition to these five clues that point to its existence, Planet Nine is also the best explanation for other observed phenomena such as:

  • the clustering of the orbits of extreme trans-Neptunian objects (eTNOs);
  • the high perihelia of objects like Sedna that are detached from Neptune’s influence;
  • the high inclinations of eTNOs with orbits roughly perpendicular to the orbits of the eight known planets,
  • high inclination trans-Neptunian objects with semi-major axis less than 100 AU,
  • and the obliquity, or tilt, of the Sun’s axis relative to the planets’ orbits.

Clearly, there is a decent amount of evidence out there that supports Planet Nine’s existence. However, there is still the remaining step of actually locating Planet Nine–a project that Batygin and Brown are currently working on by harnessing the power of the Subaru Telescope at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii. You can read more about their research here.

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Comets

Posted on April 9, 2018 by samssolarsystem

what-is-a-comet-made-of-nasa.jpg

Comets get the “dirty snowball” nickname from their composition: they are a little bit of rocky dust, a good amount of chunks of ice, and a pinch of more complex compounds.  Spectra analysis reveals the presence of hydrogen compounds within comets, and the existence of hydrogen compounds like water and the presence of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide confirm that Comets form in the outer portion of the solar system.  This is because these compounds and gases can only condense in the most distant and coldest corners of the solar system.   In fact, comets have been discovered to contain organic compounds, supporting the theory that comets could have played a crucial role in the emergence of life on Earth by providing our planet with the organic compounds needed for life to take root.

There have been a multitude of spacecraft missions to comets that have revealed fascinating insights about these celestial objects.  The most remarkable findings, in my opinion, occurred in 2004, when NASA’s Stardust spacecraft visited Comet Wild 2.  The mission used a material called aerial to gather dust particles from the comet, providing us with the first ever direct sample of comet dust.  The findings have perplexed scientists, the composition of the dust suggests that the comet formed in the inner portion of the solar system and combined with other cometary material formed in the outer solar system.  This finding completely uprooted the scientific theory of comet composition and caused many scientists to rethink how comets are formed.

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Comets

Posted on April 9, 2018 by samssolarsystem

what-is-a-comet-made-of-nasa.jpg

Comets get the “dirty snowball” nickname from their composition: they are a little bit of rocky dust, a good amount of chunks of ice, and a pinch of more complex compounds.  Spectra analysis reveals the presence of hydrogen compounds within comets, and the existence of hydrogen compounds like water and the presence of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide confirm that Comets form in the outer portion of the solar system.  This is because these compounds and gases can only condense in the most distant and coldest corners of the solar system.   In fact, comets have been discovered to contain organic compounds, supporting the theory that comets could have played a crucial role in the emergence of life on Earth by providing our planet with the organic compounds needed for life to take root.

There have been a multitude of spacecraft missions to comets that have revealed fascinating insights about these celestial objects.  The most remarkable findings, in my opinion, occurred in 2004, when NASA’s Stardust spacecraft visited Comet Wild 2.  The mission used a material called aerial to gather dust particles from the comet, providing us with the first ever direct sample of comet dust.  The findings have perplexed scientists, the composition of the dust suggests that the comet formed in the inner portion of the solar system and combined with other cometary material formed in the outer solar system.  This finding completely uprooted the scientific theory of comet composition and caused many scientists to rethink how comets are formed.

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Ceres: Smallest Dwarf Planet or Biggest Asteroid?

Posted on April 9, 2018 by lexisastronomyblog

In 1801, Ceres was discovered by Father Giuseppe Piazzi, who believed it to be a planet or “new star.” Originally, Ceres was classified as a planet. However, after more objects were discovered in the asteroid belt, Ceres was demoted to an asteroid in the 1850s. Today, Ceres is classified as a dwarf planet.

ceres
Ceres by NASA’s Dawn

Ceres is very similar to terrestrial planets like Earth and Mars. For example, Ceres is nearly round, and asteroids are typically oblong or general misshapen. Ceres also has a differentiated interior, meaning that dense materials are at the core and lighter materials are nearer to the surface. All terrestrial planets have a differentiated core. There is also substantial evidence that Ceres contains water vapor and large amounts of water ice. At high latitudes, ice can also be found. Ceres’s planet-like qualities are the reasons that the object was classified as a dwarf planet in 2006.

Ceres, a single object, accounts for almost one-third of all the mass of the asteroid belt. Despite this statistic, Ceres is only 590 miles across, and Pluto is fourteen times more massive than Ceres. Currently, Ceres is the smallest object classified as a dwarf planet. But, does Ceres deserve the title of dwarf planet? Despite its terrestrial planet characteristics, Ceres still has many asteroid-like characteristics. Coupled with its tiny size, Ceres also does not have any moons while every other dwarf planet has at least one. As for the surface, Ceres is heavily cratered and contains both young and old terrain. However, new evidence from the Dawn Mission suggests that Ceres is a geologically active world, which makes this dwarf planet a good target for more in-depth research.

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Ceres: Smallest Dwarf Planet or Biggest Asteroid?

Posted on April 9, 2018 by lexisastronomyblog

In 1801, Ceres was discovered by Father Giuseppe Piazzi, who believed it to be a planet or “new star.” Originally, Ceres was classified as a planet. However, after more objects were discovered in the asteroid belt, Ceres was demoted to an asteroid in the 1850s. Today, Ceres is classified as a dwarf planet.

ceres
Ceres by NASA’s Dawn

Ceres is very similar to terrestrial planets like Earth and Mars. For example, Ceres is nearly round, and asteroids are typically oblong or general misshapen. Ceres also has a differentiated interior, meaning that dense materials are at the core and lighter materials are nearer to the surface. All terrestrial planets have a differentiated core. There is also substantial evidence that Ceres contains water vapor and large amounts of water ice. At high latitudes, ice can also be found. Ceres’s planet-like qualities are the reasons that the object was classified as a dwarf planet in 2006.

Ceres, a single object, accounts for almost one-third of all the mass of the asteroid belt. Despite this statistic, Ceres is only 590 miles across, and Pluto is fourteen times more massive than Ceres. Currently, Ceres is the smallest object classified as a dwarf planet. But, does Ceres deserve the title of dwarf planet? Despite its terrestrial planet characteristics, Ceres still has many asteroid-like characteristics. Coupled with its tiny size, Ceres also does not have any moons while every other dwarf planet has at least one. As for the surface, Ceres is heavily cratered and contains both young and old terrain. However, new evidence from the Dawn Mission suggests that Ceres is a geologically active world, which makes this dwarf planet a good target for more in-depth research.

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What will black hole be eventually?

Posted on April 9, 2018 by dempsy
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Black hole, pic source

Among all the astro bodies, black hole is unique. We all know that black holes have strong gravitation effect that nothing, even including light, is able to escape from black hole. Then, a question arises and attracts me a lot – What will black hole be eventually after it absorbs a lot of matters? Will it be heavy and small enough to become another singular point? When I am lying on the bed, I sometimes think about this question and imagine that a blackhole gradually develops to another world.

However, sadly in the real world, a blackhole is not able to develop to a singular point and then become a new world. Instead, it will gradually radiates itself. In 1974, Stephen Hawking found that black holes do not only absorb matters from outer world but also radiates its matter towards the outside world. According to Hawking’s theorem, if particles are too close to the blackhole, it will radiates some energy called Hawking radiation. Also, Hawking also stated that small blackholes have already done radiation and disappeared, while black holes with larger mass are still alive but they are also accelerating towards their death. In order to obtain enough mass to make up the loss of radiation, black holes have to absorb enough matter. If there is enough matter near the blackhole, it will be able to stay alive and grow. On the other hand, the black hole will stop growing and gradually goes to its death.

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Halley’s Comet

Posted on April 9, 2018 by dempsy

Halley’s Comet is well-known to people and it might be the most famous comet in the world. However, people know it but most of people do not know what makes Comet Halley famous. In fact, Comet Halley is famous because it is the only short-period comet which regularly comes close to Earth and be visible to the naked eye from Earth. Every 74-79 years, Comet Halley comes visiting our Earth, which means a person might be able to observe the comet twice in his/her life time.

The high frequency of visiting makes Comet Halley easily observable compared with the other comets, and in fact since 240 BC, people began noticing and recording this comet, which is a reason why Comet Halley is so popular.

Nowadays scientists are studying Comet Halley and able to give us more information about it besides its regular visiting. Thanks to the Giotto and Vega mission, scientists found that Comet Halley’s nucleus is small – 15km long, 8km wide and perhaps 8km thick. What is more interesting, the comet are made of many many small pieces. These small pieces hold loosely, which makes the density and mass of Comet Halley quite small. However, even though the nucleus of the comet is small, when it goes near the Sun, it will be observed much larger by people. The reason is that when Comet Halley comes near the sun, its violate compound such as water, carbon monoxide, etc., will begin sublime from the nucleus and form a coma.

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Comet Halley, pic source
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The Giant Red Whale

Posted on April 9, 2018 by haleytopper04

In 2015, scientists discovered what they call the giant red whale on Pluto’s surface. This is simply a red part of Pluto that vaguely takes the shape of a whale. Their theory is that it was created by a giant impactor, most likely the same one that lead to Charon, Pluto’s large moon.

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Source: Space.com

We knew little about Pluto until NASA’s New Horizons probe revealed ice mountains, glaciers, and potentially and underground ocean. The red what spans 1,900 miles and shows evidence of craters, allowing us to date the shape to billions of years old. It is thought that the color comes from tholins, which are complex hydrocarbons. Through experiments and computer simulations, it has been shown that a large impactor that would have created Charon could have left a huge pool of hot water near the equator. The high temperatures would allow for chemical reactions, creating the reddish color.

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Missing Dark Matter

Posted on April 9, 2018 by haleytopper04

There is an understanding that about 80 percent of the mass in the universe is made up of material that we cannot observe, and that matter is called dark matter. Although there is no direct evidence of dark matter, it must be present to hold the elements of the universe together.

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Source: Space.com

Recently, it was discovered that galaxy NGC 1052-DF2 has 400 times less dark matter than would be expected for something of its size. This discovery has brought up questions about what we know about galaxy formation. Previously, it was thought that the interaction between dark matter and “normal matter” (baryonic matter) was key, and that dark matter clumps together while stars are formed from gas and dust.

One theory as to how this galaxy could have formed is from the gas cast out of other merging galaxies. It does lie close to another elliptical galaxy that could make their theory probable, however scientists are still trying to figure out this mystery!

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On This Day in Astronomy History…

Posted on April 9, 2018 by maxflorsheim
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The Mercury Seven, NASA

On this day, April 9th, 59 years ago in 1959, NASA introduced the world to their first ever astronauts, the Mercury 7.  A press conference was held in D.C. to announce the line up, and reveal America’s next move in the space race against the Soviet Union. This came a year after NASA had introduced the Mercury program, America’s first human spaceflight program, with the goal of putting humans into orbit while being able to ensure their safety. All seven astronauts had military pilot experience, and were chosen due to a belief that they were capable of completing risky missions.

President Eisenhower himself had stated that the military would be able to provide the necessary pilots, and after 508 military names were initially screened, only 110 men met the minimum requirements. This number was then reduced to 36 pilots following written tests, medical reviews, technical surveys, and participants choosing to drop out. The remaining pilots underwent intense physical examinations, before then being tested in extreme conditions, both physically and mentally, at the Wright Air Development Center in Dayton, Ohio. Eventually the final seven were chosen to be introduced, and they immediately became American heroes and global icons.

This class included Alan Shepard, who in 1961 would become the first American in Space (and the second person even after Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin launched into space less than a month prior) , and Gus Grissom who would follow Shepard as the second American in Space. Shepard later became the fifth man to walk on the Moon, where he famously played a round of golf. Grissom would then be selected to command the first Apollo manned mission, however he was unfortunately killed in 1967, along with two others, when a fire broke out in his spacecraft while on the launch pad. This prompted large-scale changes to the Apollo mission. There was also John Glenn, who in 1962 became the first American to orbit Earth, and then in 1988, became the oldest person to explore space at the age of 77. Scott Carpenter only entered space once, where he became the second American to go into orbit, before undergoing a career shift to deep sea exploration. Wally Schirra is the only astronaut to have flown in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. Following Apollo 1’s fatal fire, which killed Grissom, Schirra was made commander of the first successful Apollo manned mission, Apollo 7. Gordon Cooper made two trips to space, in both the Mercury and Gemini programs. During his second trip, Cooper and his crewmate, Peter Conrad, set a new world endurance record with 190 hours and 56 minutes in space, traveling 3.3 million miles in orbit around the Earth. Deke Slayton was the last of the Mercury 7, and the only one to never make it into space in the Mercury program. Slayton was continuously grounded due to a heart condition, before finally receiving approval to fly in the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first Soviet-US joint mission. Over the course of the five year program, the courage of the Mercury 7 set the foundations for the many successful missions that followed.

 

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