'Secret' planet at the boundary of our solar system may be five times larger than Earth.
Some scientists think that a massive planet that has never been seen by astronomers might be hiding in the shadowy reaches of our solar system.
By 1846, astronomers had identified all eight significant planets; they have since discovered Pluto and numerous additional "dwarf planets."
Sara Webb, a space scientist, said that the quest continues for the enigmatic 'ninth planet,' which is believed to exist far beyond Neptune in our solar system.
There is abundant evidence for the planet, which is believed to be up to 20 times further from the Sun than Neptune, yet it may be hard to see with the equipment available today.
The colossal, unseen planet is believed to be ten times the size of Earth and to circle the sun every 10,000 or 20,000 years.
Webb of Swinburne University in Australia said in The Conversation, "There's a solid reason why astronomers spend countless hours attempting to identify a ninth planet, sometimes known as Planet Nine or Planet X. And this is due to the fact that the solar system as we know it would be meaningless without it.
"With our knowledge of gravitational attraction, we get the most significant indication of a probable Planet Nine.
"When we examine really distant objects, such as dwarf planets beyond Pluto, we discover that their orbits are quite atypical. They travel on very huge elliptical (oval-shaped) orbits, are clustered together, and exist at an angle relative to the rest of the solar system.
When astronomers simulate the gravitational forces necessary for these objects to travel in this manner using a computer, they conclude that a planet with a mass at least 10 times that of Earth would have been required.
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Earlier, a scientist from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) hypothesised that Planet Nine exists and may be five times the size of Earth.
Professor Konstantin Batygin said, "Planet Nine, with five Earth masses, is expected to resemble a typical extrasolar super-Earth."
Super-Earths are rocky planets similar to our own. but much, much more significant.
Since the planet is so distant from the Sun, it is expected to be exceedingly dark, and it might take up to a thousand years before it is discovered.
Some researchers suggest that an enormous disc of ice objects may exist instead.
Due to a new generation of space telescopes, Webb is hopeful that Planet Nine will be discovered sooner rather than later.
She said that there are unique obstacles to locating the enormous item.
"There are just a few nights during which the circumstances must be optimal. Notably, we must wait for a moonless night in which our observation point is facing the correct portion of the sky.
"In the coming decade, new telescopes will be constructed and new sky surveys will commence. These may provide us the chance to establish or reject the existence of Planet Nine.
