Scientists may have found a new planet in our solar system
Scientists just dropped some exciting news: there might be a planet, nicknamed "Planet Y," between the mass of Mercury and Earth, way out past Neptune.
Researchers noticed that some far-off icy objects aren't orbiting quite as expected, and think Planet Y's gravity could be behind these odd movements.
The findings were shared online recently.
Planet Y likely hidden in the Kuiper Belt
The team believes Planet Y is likely tucked away in the Kuiper Belt—a chilly zone full of icy bodies beyond Neptune—and is smaller than the much-hyped Planet Nine, with a mass somewhere between Mercury and Earth.
They say the unusual 15-degree tilt in certain orbits probably isn't random chance.
With new sky surveys coming up at the Vera Rubin Observatory, we might soon know if this mysterious world is actually out there—potentially changing how we understand our solar system's formation.