Scientists, telescope hunt massive hidden object in space. You know how you sometimes can sense that something is present even though you can't see it? Well, astronomers are getting that feeling about a giant, hidden object in space. And when we say giant, we mean GIANT. Evidence is mounting that either a brown dwarf star or a gas giant planet is lurking at the outermost reaches of our solar system, far beyond Pluto. The theoretical object, dubbed Tyche, is estimated to be four times the size of Jupiter and 15,000 times farther from the sun than Earth, according to a story in the British paper The Independent. Astrophysicists John Matese and Daniel Whitmire from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette think data from NASA's infrared space telescope WISE will confirm Tyche's existence and location within two years.
The presence of such a massive object in the solar system's far-flung Oort Cloud could explain a barrage of comets from an unexpected direction, according to a December article at Space.com. Will NASA Settle Debate Over Existence of Giant Planet 'Tyche'? | Outer Solar System, Extreme Planet Facts | Tyche & Nemesis | LiveScience. Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Get the Space.com Newsletter Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter In 1999, a team of astronomers proposed that a gigantic planet — perhaps four times the mass of Jupiter — could be lurking unseen in the Oort cloud, a repository for icy bodies at the edge of the solar system. The researchers said the presence of this hypothetical planet could explain the unusual orbital paths taken by some comets from the Oort cloud.
Many other astronomers were not convinced, and the debate over Tyche's existence has continued. Article continues below WISE, which launched in December 2009 and went into hibernation earlier this month, scanned the entire sky in infrared wavelengths during its operational life. Nibiru (Planet X) 100% Proof.flv.