steal planet tagged posts

Planet 9 was most likely stolen by our sun 4.5 billion years ago. Credit: Image courtesy of Lund University

Through a computer-simulated study, astronomers at Lund University in Sweden show that it is highly likely that the so-called Planet 9 is an exoplanet. This would make it the first exoplanet to be discovered inside our own solar system. The theory is that our sun, in its youth some 4.5B yrs ago, stole Planet 9 from its original star.

“It is almost ironic that while astronomers often find exoplanets hundreds of light years away in other solar systems, there’s probably one hiding in our own backyard,” says Alexander Mustill, astronomer at Lund University. Stars are born in clusters and often pass by one another...