maybe - but the IAU's definition for a planet indicates that body must clear its orbital path of debris (excepting any natural satellites or or those otherwise under its gravitational influence) - and that immediately rules out any trans-Neptunian objects. possibly there is something between the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud but our tech is not good enough to detect such a contender for planet as yet.
The hypothetical "planet 9" that astronomers have been actively searching for during the past several years is expected to orbit somewhere between the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud — and we absolutely do have the technology to detect it, it's just painstaking work that takes a lot of telescope time (which is in short supply since lots of astronomers are all competing for it) and is difficult to automate.
4 Comments
tallwookie@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 3y
maybe - but the IAU's definition for a planet indicates that body must clear its orbital path of debris (excepting any natural satellites or or those otherwise under its gravitational influence) - and that immediately rules out any trans-Neptunian objects. possibly there is something between the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud but our tech is not good enough to detect such a contender for planet as yet.
very_well_lost@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3y
The hypothetical "planet 9" that astronomers have been actively searching for during the past several years is expected to orbit somewhere between the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud — and we absolutely do have the technology to detect it, it's just painstaking work that takes a lot of telescope time (which is in short supply since lots of astronomers are all competing for it) and is difficult to automate.
BrerChicken@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 3y
'Planet 9' doesn't have the same ring to it as 'Planet X.'
Xariphon@kbin.social · 1 pts · 3y
Pluto is still right there...