Can two planets orbit one another?
So, strictly speaking, two ‘planets’ in the same orbit would not be classed as planets. But it is possible for two planet-like bodies to share the same orbit around a central star without colliding: the second object would need to be positioned at a particular point in the first object’s gravitational field.
Could there be a planet on the other side of the Sun?
No. Just no. This is a delightful staple in science fiction. There’s a mysterious world that orbits the Sun exactly the same distance as Earth, but it’s directly across the Solar System from us; always hidden by the Sun.
Can planet Nine explain the clustering of orbits?
Planet Nine was initially proposed to explain the clustering of orbits, via a mechanism that would also explain the high perihelia of objects like Sedna. The evolution of some of these objects into perpendicular orbits was unexpected, but found to match objects previously observed.
Does another planet exist beyond Neptune?
Following the discovery of Neptune in 1846, there was considerable speculation that another planet might exist beyond its orbit. The best-known of these theories predicted the existence of a distant planet that was influencing the orbits of Uranus and Neptune.
Is there a Planet Nine in the Solar System?
As of September 2019, no observation of Planet Nine had been announced. While sky surveys such as Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and Pan-STARRS did not detect Planet Nine, they have not ruled out the existence of a Neptune-diameter object in the outer Solar System.
How close are we to a planet orbiting another planet?
The closest we get to a planet orbiting another planet is our own Earth-Moon system. Indeed, when compared to the size of it’s parent planet, the moon is huge. Our moon is the 5th largest of all the moons in the solar system. The 4 that are larger – Ganymede, Titan, Callisto and Io – orbit gas giants which are much larger than Earth.