Potential Planet Nine Identified in IRAS and AKARI Data

Quick summary

• Researchers analyzed data from the infrared all-sky surveys IRAS and AKARI, conducted 23 years apart, to search for slow-moving celestial objects in the Kuiper belt.
• They identified 13 potential candidate pairs of detections but found one promising candidate whose coordinates differed between IRAS and AKARI images.
• Current data from IRAS and AKARI are insufficient to determine the orbital path for this object; nine detections are needed for conclusive orbit calculation.
• Future observations using advanced telescopes like DECam might confirm if this candidate is Planet Nine by improving detection accuracy of faint objects and establishing orbits.
• Confirming Planet Nine’s existence will provide insights into solar system evolution and structural dynamics.

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Indian Opinion Analysis
The discovery of a possible Planet Nine candidate using archived infrared survey data highlights the value of leveraging historical datasets with modern analysis techniques. If validated through follow-up observations, identifying such distant massive planets would reshape our understanding of the outer solar system’s structure-a topic that could inspire India’s burgeoning space research initiatives to explore similar questions about planetary systems.

India has already demonstrated capability in interplanetary exploration through missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan satellites focused on nearby celestial bodies. A confirmed discovery like this would emphasize further need to develop observational instruments capable of detecting faint trans-Neptunian objects, strengthening India’s astrophysics research ambitions on an international scale while contributing globally to a deeper grasp of cosmic phenomena.