Scientists at the University of Arkansas have discovered new evidence to support the existence of the Planet 9, a hidden massive sphere that could be at the edge of our Solar System orbiting our Sun. Scientists published a study on Wednesday in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society that says new evidence suggests the planet has been triggering comet showers, roughly every 27 million years, that result in periodic mass extinctions.
The theory of the existence on Planet 9 and its connection with mass extinctions were the first mention in 1985 by a group of astronomers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Astrophysicist Daniel Whitmire and co-workers postulated that Planet X’s orbits through the Kuiper belt every 27 million years, and as it passes by, objects along the belt are dislodged and knocked into the inner solar system. Some of the objects in the resulting comet shower smash into Earth. Some evidence was discovered at the beginning of this year, and since then scientists have been looking for signs that could confirm its existence.
The theory of the existence on Planet 9 and its connection with mass extinctions were the first to mention in 1985 by a group of astronomers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Astrophysicist Daniel Whitmire and co-workers postulated that Planet X’s orbits through the Kuiper belt every 27 million years, and as it passes by, objects along the belt are dislodged and knocked into the inner solar system. Some of the objects in the resulting comet shower smash into Earth. Some evidence was discovered at the beginning of this year, and since then scientists have been looking for signs that could confirm its existence.
Now, astronomer Mike Brown of Caltech, one of the scientists who first announced the existence of Planet Nine, revealed he had found further evidence to support the theory.
The new study suggests that the so-called Planet X may actually be responsible for the prehistoric mass extinctions of the dinosaurs. The study not only confirms that the periodic comet showers are caused by Planet X, it also says that the regular catastrophic events can be traced back to 500 million years.
Predictions of an inevitable extinction?
Since the publication of the paper, the specter of mass extinctions has once again arisen. If the theories these scientists have published are indeed correct, it means that our planet is subject to major extinction events every 27 million years.
But perhaps we have nothing to worry about. Even though there is evidence that claims mass extinctions on Earth is linked with periods of comet showers, there is no evidence that supports the trigger is the existence of a massive planet in the outer solar system.
Previous studies have claimed that comet shower events coincide with the passage of the solar system through our galactic plane. These studies say it is a dense band of dark matter that actually causes the cometary events on cycles of around 26 million years.
NASA holds rumors of a new planet
After the study release, NASA posted a clarification around the research claims. The agency said that the existence of the planet yet hypothetical and theoretical. The message added that no one in the team that published the paper has direct observed the planet.
Jim Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division said that even though the possibility of a new planet is exciting everybody, this is not the detection or discovery of a new planet.
“It’s too early to say with certainty there’s a so-called Planet X. What we’re seeing is an early prediction based on modeling from limited observations. It’s the start of a process that could lead to an exciting result.” Green added.
Source: Oxford Journals