The mysterious "Planet 9"—a theorized giant body lurking on the fringe of our Solar System—may be closer to confirmation than ever before.
In a surprising twist, the latest clues don’t come from a cutting-edge observatory, but from the archives of a decades-old Japanese space telescope: AKARI.
🔭 Reviving Data from a Forgotten Eye in the Sky
AKARI, launched by Japan’s space agency JAXA in 2006, was primarily built for infrared astronomy. Now, researchers have meticulously combed through its treasure trove of observations, looking for thermal signatures that standard optical telescopes would miss.
Their work has surfaced two possible candidates for Planet 9—massive, dark objects far beyond Neptune that seem to disturb the orbits of distant icy bodies.
🌌 Why Planet 9 Matters
For years, astronomers have suspected an unseen object pulling on distant Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs)—causing unusual alignments that defy current models. Planet 9, if real, could be 5 to 10 times the mass of Earth, and orbit the Sun once every 10,000 to 20,000 years.
Its confirmation would reshape our understanding of the Solar System’s structure and origin.
🧊 Cold Clues in the Cosmic Dark
The challenge with spotting Planet 9 lies in its extreme distance and frigid temperature. It wouldn’t reflect much sunlight, but it would emit faint infrared radiation—which is exactly the type of signal AKARI specialized in detecting.
By analyzing these ghostly glimmers, astronomers are getting closer to pinpointing a target for future high-powered telescopes like Subaru or the Vera Rubin Observatory.
🚀 The Next Steps in the Hunt
Although these candidates are tantalizing, they aren’t definitive. The search continues with modern infrared surveys and powerful simulations. But AKARI’s revival shows that even older space missions can provide goldmines of insight when revisited through today’s computational lens.
✨ A Ghost Planet No More?
If Planet 9 is confirmed, it would be the most significant addition to our cosmic neighborhood since Pluto’s demotion.
This once-mythic world could finally step out from the shadows, offering fresh perspective on planetary formation, gravitational dynamics, and perhaps even long-lost solar siblings.