Solar System May Have More Hidden Planets Than Just One Undiscovered Planet Nine

Earlier this year California Institute of Technology (Caltech) scientists had predicted the existence of a mysterious ninth planet, termed Planet X, in our solar system. The researchers had made the suggestion after detecting 13 objects in the Kuiper Belt, an area beyond Neptune's orbit, which were moving in unison as if caught in the gravity of a huge celestial body. Now, another team of astronomers have reportedly put forward the theory that there could be more than just one undiscovered planet orbiting the sun, raising the total count of the solar system planets to 10 or 11.

The researching team, comprising of a member from the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge and two freelance astronomers, made the prediction of more than one undetected Planet X existing through a study conducted with new computer models. According to the team, the routes of the dwarf planets are not as stable as previously thought, and they seem to be under the influence of other planets located farther in the solar system. In short, what researchers predicted as a yet undiscovered planet ninth could actually be several planets that are jointly producing gravitational effects. Furthermore, Planet Nine's orbit would have to change for the maintenance of the dwarf planets' stability over a long time, and if the action is not caused by the ninth planet then that implies the stability of the dwarf planets are being influenced by some other planets.

"We believe that in addition to a Planet Nine, there could also be a Planet Ten and even more," said Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, study co-author. "With the orbit indicated by the Caltech astronomers for Planet Nine, our calculations show the six extreme trans-Neptunian objects  (ETNOs), which they consider to be the Rosetta Stone in the solution to this mystery, would move in lengthy, unstable orbits".

Incidentally, since Planet X's prediction in January 2016, there have been many hypotheses and theories that have been put forward for the planet by scientists, which vary from it being an exoplanet that the Sun stole to it having formed in the early solar system but subsequently being expelled to its outer periphery. The search for the elusive ninth planet is still on; meanwhile scientists have suggested it will take at least a few more years before we can find the mysterious world.