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SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: A solid lead on Planet X?

The search for planet x just got another find along the way towards pin pointing its location.

The hunt for Planet X turns up a new solar system object dubbed "the Goblin."

The object is on the small end of being a dwarf planet, with a 40,000-year orbit -- meaning it takes that long to go around the sun. That's more than 2,000 times the distance between the Earth and the sun. Its current location is about 2½ times farther from the sun than from Pluto.  Based on simulations using the basic parameters they have for Planet X, the researchers say the Goblin acts like it is "shepherded" by the planet but never nears the proposed massive planet. This is similar to why Pluto never gets too close to the gas giant Neptune, although their orbits actually cross.

"These distant objects are like breadcrumbs leading us to Planet X,

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: A solid lead on Planet X?

I wondered if the direction is towards Earth now 2,000 light-years closer to Milky Way's supermassive black hole

By pinpointing the location and velocity of around 99 specific points in our galaxy, VERA has concluded that the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A, at the center of our galaxy, is actually 25,800 light-years from Earth -- almost 2,000 light-years closer than what we previously believed.

In addition, the new model calculates Earth is moving faster than we believed. Older models clocked Earth's speed at 220 kilometers (136 miles) per second, orbiting around the galaxy's centre. VERA's new model has us moving at 227 kilometers (141 miles) per second.

Thats over the course of 13 billion give or take years of existence....

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: A solid lead on Planet X?

Strange exoplanet discovery makes a case for the elusive 'Planet Nine'