New Study Reveals Clues about Earth-like Planet in our Solar System

KOMPAS.com – Until now, astronomers have discovered many planets outside the Solar System which are claimed to be similar to Earth. As Japanese astronomers recently discovered.

Scientists feel very compelled to find Earth-like planets because of the potential conditions that support the continuation of life there.

In addition, the discovery of planets similar to Earth could also provide important insight into the possible existence of environments suitable for life outside Earth.

Reporting from Space, Friday (8/9/2023), a new study found promising clues about the existence of an Earth-like planet in our Solar System.

The study was conducted by Patryk Sofia Lykawka of Kindai University in Osaka, Japan, and Takashi Ito of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan in Tokyo.

Also read: What would an Earth-like planet full of volcanoes look like?

Although much global research is interested in the possibility of a planet similar to Earth, this theory also raises debate.

In 2021, an independent study actually stated that the data used by the team that published the first paper on Planet Nine was considered unfair, and they concluded that the likelihood of such a planet existing was very small.

Earth-like planet in the kuiper belt

Meanwhile, researchers in Japan in a new study now propose the possibility of another planet hidden in the Kuiper Belt, a donut-shaped ring that stretches just beyond the orbit of Neptune, reported by Earth, Friday (8/9/2023).

Located closer than Planet Nine, around objects that are beyond the orbit of Neptune.

“We predict the existence of planets similar to Earth. It is reasonable that prehistoric planetary objects may still exist in the distant Kuiper Belt and could be called Kuiper Belt Planets (KBP), considering that many such objects existed in the early solar system,” added the researchers.

Scientists believe that this KBP is around 500 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. This distance is equivalent to 500 times the distance between Earth and the Sun, and is closer than Planet Nine.

Also read: There are 160 planets similar to Earth, NASA needs sophisticated telescopes to study them

Cold temperatures on Kuiper belt planets

According to researchers, KBP could reach three times the size of Earth. However, temperatures tend to be too cold to support life.

It is known that the Kuiper Belt contains millions of icy objects that are referred to as trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) because they lie beyond Neptune.

Astronomers believe that TNO is a remnant of the process of forming the solar system. They consist of a mixture of rock, amorphous carbon, and volatile ices such as water and methane.

“TNO’s orbit may indicate the possible existence of undiscovered planets in the outer solar system,” the researchers said.

“These rock and ice objects are remnants of planet formation in the outer solar system,” he continued.

Also read: NASA Discovers Earth-Like Planet with Strange Atmosphere

There is a gravitational pull

The research team observed that a number of these objects in the Kuiper Belt were gravitationally affected by something larger around them, resulting in them having “unusual orbits.”

Additionally, within this belt there are a number of objects that have high orbital inclinations, meaning their orbits are highly inclined as they orbit the sun.

Computer simulation results show that the hypothesized Kuiper Belt planet could be responsible for this phenomenon.

“We conclude that the possibility of an Earth-like planet in a distant, significantly tilted orbit could explain three key characteristics of the distant Kuiper Belt,” the researchers wrote.

They also explained that this prediction has not been confirmed and more research needs to be done.

Research into the potential for Earth-like planets in the Kuiper Belt is described in a paper published August 25, 2023 in The Astronomical Journal.

Also read: Discovery of a Super Planet Earth Orbiting a Dwarf Star

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2023-09-09 12:30:00
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