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Posted by: TrappistPlanets Nov 13 2021, 10:58 PM

there is this recent article about finding a possible transneptunian planet candidate
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2111.03831.pdf
The candidate discussed here would be likely to have mass 3-5 MEarth if it was in fact a planet and not something else

what interests me is how we didn't find it in later surveys of the night sky...

Posted by: Phil Stooke Nov 14 2021, 03:05 AM

Unfortunately, the most likely explanation for not finding it in later surveys is that this object is an artifact of the image, not a real thing. But I'm sure people will be looking now.

Phil

Posted by: nprev Nov 14 2021, 08:33 AM

ADMIN NOTE: Topic title changed, first post edited. Please see rule 1.9. The entire subject of "planethood" remains extremely contentious among many in our community, so we ask that everyone refrain from using incendiary terminology which may aggravate or alienate some members & start useless, acrimonious, and utterly non-productive arguments.

Posted by: TrappistPlanets Nov 14 2021, 04:03 PM

its possible it would just be an artifact in the data or a distant IR object
we need to see if the object moves in multiple images (like how we detect new dwarf planets or comets), if it moves, than we are onto something, if it does not, its a distant IR object or something else, and if its nowhere to be found, than its just a hiccup (artifact) in the data

Posted by: stevesliva Nov 15 2021, 03:22 AM

There is an afterword in that paper that had me checking the http://findplanetnine.blogspot.com/. There are a few 2021 updates that I hadn't seen.

Posted by: TrappistPlanets Nov 15 2021, 12:14 PM

interesting, scale diagram is nice, that size is a bit more realistic for a planet that may have been thrown out way far by jupiter (this is one of the formation theories), and couldn't grab any more material to grow to the size of the 2 known ice giants