Is there a ‘Planet Y’? Scientists suggest Earth-sized planet could be lurking in our Solar System

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A study suggests an Earth-sized planet, dubbed Planet Y, may exist beyond Neptune, affecting the orbits of icy objects in the Kuiper Belt.

The team suggests that Planet Y’s gravity could explain why certain Kuiper Belt objects appear tilted at an unusual 15-degree angle.(Pexels)

A new study suggests our solar system may be hiding yet another mysterious world. Researchers believe an Earth-sized planet, nicknamed Planet Y, could be lurking far beyond Neptune, subtly tugging at icy objects on the solar system’s edge, the New Scientist reported.

The research, published on preprint server arXiv, comes from Amir Siraj and Christopher F. Chyba of Princeton University, along with astrophysicist Scott Tremaine of the Institute for Advanced Study. Their work focuses on unexplained orbital tilts observed in the Kuiper Belt-- a distant region filled with icy bodies, including dwarf planet Pluto.

Planet Y vs Planet Nine

Scientists have long speculated about Planet Nine-- a giant world estimated to be 10 times Earth’s mass and orbiting about 300 times farther from the Sun. Planet Y, however, is theorised to be much smaller, somewhere between Mercury and Earth in size, and positioned closer than Planet Nine.

The team suggests that Planet Y’s gravity could explain why certain Kuiper Belt objects appear tilted at an unusual 15-degree angle, rather than aligning neatly with the solar system’s flat orbital plane.

Siraj estimates there’s only a 2–4% chance that this finding is a statistical coincidence-- about the same odds that first gave weight to the Planet Nine theory. Intriguingly, both Planet Nine and Planet Y could exist together, reshaping our understanding of the solar system’s architecture.

Where Did Planet Y Come From?

Astronomer Jonti Horner of the University of Southern Queensland, commenting on the study, said the idea is “plausible.” He noted that the outer solar system remains largely unexplored and suggested Planet Y may not have formed where it is now. Instead, it might have been pushed outward during the chaotic early days of planetary formation, when giant planets were still shifting into stable orbits.

Rubin Observatory May Hold the Answer

The mystery might soon be solved. The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, through its ambitious Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), is expected to provide deeper insights into the Kuiper Belt. The researchers say if Planet Y lies within the observatory’s survey range, it could finally be detected.

“If such a body exists but is not discoverable by LSST due to its on-sky location, LSST will nevertheless reveal more about the Kuiper Belt’s unusual orbital tilt,” the authors wrote.

For now, Planet Y remains hypothetical-- but with new telescopes coming online, the hunt for hidden worlds beyond Neptune is entering an exciting phase.

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