A US astronomer announced Friday he had discovered what could be a 10th planet in the outer reaches of the solar system nearly 15 billion kilometers (nine billion miles) from earth.
If confirmed, the discovery by Professor Mike Brown of the respected California Institute of Technology would be the first of a planet since Pluto was identified in 1930.
The body is "the 10th planet of the solar system," said Brown, a professor of planetary astronomy in a phone conference from CalTech in the town of Pasadena.
"It's the farthest object ever discovered to orbit around the sun."
"It's definitely bigger than Pluto," he said of the body made up of ice and rock.
The planet is a typical member of the Kuiper belt, but its sheer size in relation to the nine known planets means that it can only be classified as a planet, Brown said.
Currently about 97 times further from the sun than the Earth, the planet is the farthest-known object in the solar system, and the third brightest of the Kuiper belt objects.
But Brown conceded that the discovery would likely rekindle debate over the
definition of "planet" and whether Pluto should still be regarded as one.
Planet X
More info visit http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/newplanet-072905.html
Tenth planet again, i mean it's exciting to have found this "new planet" in our solar system, but don't you think that they should make a 100% confirmation that this is the true "Planet X" before informing us civilian?
Well not matter what, hopefully this will not end up like Sedna's case, for if this is the true "Planet X", there might be lot's of other discovery breakthroughs waiting for us up ahead!
