Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Newly-Discovered Dwarf Planet Called 'The Goblin' Gets Astronomers One Step Closer To Finding Planet X

Newly-Discovered Dwarf Planet Called 'The Goblin' Gets Astronomers One Step Closer To Finding Planet X
Robert Molar Candanosa/Scott Sheppard/Carnegie Science Institution

Turns out we might not be alone out there... and the discovery comes just in time for Halloween.


A new astronomic discovery is making the idea of a huge, mysterious planet--typically called Planet 9 or Planet X--just might be lurking undetected at the edge of our Solar System.

Astronomers working in Hawaii have found a tiny object orbiting far away from the sun that may have been pushed onto its current path by Planet X's gravity. The tiny rock, officially (boringly) called TG387 but nicknamed "The Goblin" (much better) was discovered by astronomers at the Carnegie Institution of Science using a giant Japanese observatory in Hawaii called Subaru. They first spotted it in 2015 and have been following it for four years as it makes its way around the sun--a process that takes "The Goblin" 40,000 years to complete, so remember that the next time you're feeling down about your progress on your own goals.




"The Goblin" is one of 14 space rocks that bear out the existence of Planet X, all on similar orbits that indicate something far bigger has "pushed" them into similar locations and paths. "Each time we find another one of these smaller objects, it will lead us to constrain where the bigger planet could be," Scott Sheppard, an astronomer at Carnegie Science, told The Verge. "They're all on very similar orbits, but their orbits are all slightly different, which [limits] where the planet could be."

Scientists have been speculating about a planet beyond Neptune for the past century, but have been getting closer and closer to proving the theory starting in 2012 with the discovery of a far-out object similar to "The Goblin." Research performed in 2016 calculated that the phantom planet is roughly 10 times the mass of Earth. "The Goblin" is unique in that it is so far away that it cannot be influenced by the most distant known planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, bearing out the theory that there's a secret planet hidden out there somewhere.

On social media, folks were delighted by the news and the rock's name alike!





While others worried about what this might mean...



And, of course, there were jokes!






All kidding aside, the discovery is a potentially monumental one. "I'm really quite confident — about a 99 percent level of confidence — that Planet 9 is really out there," CalTech researcher Konstantin Batygin told The Verge. "It might take on the order of a decade to find, but I'm quite confident it's there."

Perhaps we're not alone after all...

H/T The Verge, The Guardian

More from News

Screenshots from @mstarland's TikTok video
@mstarland/TikTok

Pregnant Mom Calls Out Husband For Falling Asleep While Watching Their Two-Year-Old

There's nothing quite like discovering how much louder actions speak than words when your partner falls asleep on the job.

Especially when you're 38 weeks pregnant.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jake Tapper and Mike Turner
CNN

GOP Rep. Ousted From Chairmanship By Trump Calls Out Colleagues For Russian Propaganda In Resurfaced Clip

Speaking to anchor Jake Tapper on CNN last April, Ohio Republican Mike Turner said that Russian propaganda had "infected" the GOP in a clip that has resurfaced after President-elect Donald Trump had him ousted as House Intelligence Committee chair.

At the time, Turner made it clear that his fellow Republicans were parroting Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine and its relationship with NATO members. That claim came after House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Michael McCaul, who said he thinks "Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it’s infected a good chunk of my party’s base."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @poorandhungry's TikTok video
@poorandhungry/TikTok

TikToker Dumbfounded After Discovering A Troll Signed Her Up For The Special Olympics

Some people are natural born givers and like to lift other people's spirits and find unique and fun ways to make them laugh.

TikToker @poorandhungry, or "Syd," is one such person who maintains a TikTok and Instagram account with funny parodies, quips, and skits that leave her audience rolling with laughter.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @myriamestrella8's TikTok video
@myriamestrella8/TikTok

Lesbian Speaks Out After She And Partner Were Targets Of Homophobic Bullying On Disney Cruise

A l Disney fan and her partner believe they were targeted in a homophobic bullying incident while traveling on a Disney cruise.

Myriam–a.k.a. @myriamestrella8–recounted the disturbing incident in the first of a couple of TikTok videos that went viral.

Keep ReadingShow less
Man walking by warehouse forklift
Pickawood/Unsplash

People Describe The All-Time Worst Jobs They've Ever Had

Dream jobs are the ones where they don't feel like work at all.

Very few are lucky enough to earn a living while fulfilling their passions. In contrast, others show up despite the arduous tasks involved in raising a family or living a comfortable life.

Keep ReadingShow less