What is Planet Nine? Find out more about a possible new planet in our solar system.
Everyone likes planets. They’re familiar. We live on one. Ask your Aunt Lucie to name a few of the solar system’s Moons or to recite five stars, and you’ll probably get a blank stare. But ask her to name all the planets, and no problem.
It’s been a while since anyone found a new planet in our solar system. The world was amazed at the discovery of Uranus in 1781 and Neptune in 1846.
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Pluto’s discovery in 1930 also generated global excitement. It didn’t hurt when Walt Disney named his only nonspeaking character after it a year later. (The dog had been “Rover” in an earlier cartoon).
But as we all know, Pluto was demoted in 2006—officially designated a “dwarf” like so many other Disney characters. .
Image: NASA. Dwarf planets Pluto and Eris orbiting through the Kuiper Belt, beyond Neptune.
We’re ready for a new one. And we may get it. Researchers recently discovered that the weird orbits of six very distant icy objects can be explained if they’re being tugged by a huge unseen world far away.
IF a planet is discovered, it would have to be several times larger than Earth. And achingly distant.
If Earth’s distance from the Sun is 1 astronomical unit or AU, and Pluto averages 40 AUs from the Sun, a new planet would have to have a highly eccentric non-round orbit that comes as close as 200 and goes as far away as at least 500 AUs. That’s way out there.
Image: NASA. If Planet X exists its orbit might exist in the frozen Kuiper Belt region of our outer solar system, counterbalancing the orbits of the other Kuiper objects with its gravitational pull.
Hypothetically, it would be at its farthest away right now. That would make it incredibly dim, something like magnitude 22, or a thousand times fainter than Pluto. Tough to find. So far, it’s being called Planet Nine. No doubt, if it exists, it will be named after some Roman god, to match the other planets.
Image: The imaginary Planet Nine.
At a time when all the naked-eye planets are visible at the same time, it’s exciting to think that our solar system might have a large, mysterious new member. Aren’t we all kind of rooting for Planet Nine?
Bob Berman
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Janus - Janus was the God of Doors and beginnings and endings.
Since scientists really don't know if there may be more planets, or not, this finding could be the beginning of who knows how many endings!
Flex the cat
I want it name it K9S
I suggest Pandora because it's opening a can of worms!
I propose "Novo" for the name of planet 9. For one reason, Novo could be Latin-ish for "Nine". Another reason is that "Novo" is close to "nouveau", French for "New". Not that it is a new planet, but that it is newly discovered. "Novo" is perfect (and simple to remember).
I submit Minerva, goddess of wisdom.
Hanson“George Washington was the first President of the United States.” A statement that is believed by anyone in the world who has studied American History. From the smallest first grader to those who have graduated from the most expensive and prestigious Ivy League Collages, we all know for a fact that George Washington was the first President of the United States. Unfortunately, this is not the truth. Actually, John Hanson was the first President of the United States.* I find it ironic that the man we are taught “could not tell a lie” is himself the subject of one of the many lies that make up what we believe to be the history of our country.
John Hanson was born on April 14, 1721 on the family plantation near Mulberry Grove, Md. As a young man, like most of America’s wealthy landowners’ offspring, he was sent off to England to get a gentleman’s education. Upon returning from England he ran the family business… the 1000-acre plantation. In 1757 he was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, an office he held undefeated for 24 years. In 1781 he was elected to the Continental Congress. And in that same year he became the first President of the United States. As stated in The People’s ĂŰĚŇÁµČË:
In 1781, while Washington was still fighting the last battles of the Revolution, the 13 Colonies joined together in a loose union under the Articles of Confederation. After the British surrender in Yorkstown, this new confederation needed a leader…. In November 1781, the Continental Congress elected John Hanson “President of The United States in Congress Assembled”. (p261)
George Washington was elected President on February 4th, 1789… eight years, and several presidents later. The Continental Congress was the United States’ first government. And John Hanson was our first President. In an ironic twist there is a letter from General George Washington to newly elected president John Hanson him congratulating on his “appointment to fill the most important Seat in the United States”. *
Of course the die-hard skeptic will think “That’s because Hanson was elected by Congress… but, Washington was the first to be elected by the people”. This is a non-reason and only opens up another can of worms.
There are several instances of Vice Presidents taking over for President’s, but the case that comes to mind is that of Gerald Ford. He wasn’t elected by anyone. Not as President nor Vice President. He was appointed by Richard Nixon to replace Vice President Spiro Agnew. It’s also interesting to note that after advancing to the presidency following Nixon’s resignation to stop impeachment against himself, Ford gave Nixon a full pardon blocking any criminal charges that might come along. If Hanson doesn’t deserve to head the short list of America’s presidents because he wasn’t elected by the people then it would mean Gerald Ford wasn’t the 38th President.
The fact of the matter is John Hanson, the real first president of the United States has been virtually ignored by historians and educators.
1 The People’s ĂŰĚŇÁµČË. David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace. Doubleday & Co. Garden City, NY. (1975)
2 Ibid.
I found your writings regarding John Hanson vs George Washington as 1st President of the United States very interesting, Donald. I'm not sure what that has to do with the Name That Planet Contest unless you are submitting "Hanson" as your name for the planet! In any event, John Hanson was one of eight men who were appointed to serve one year terms under the Articles of Confederation. Many people have argued that John Hanson was the first President of the United States, but this is not really true. Under the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. had no Executive Branch and the President of CONGRESS was more or less a ceremonial position.
Since George Washington was the first President elected by the People under the Constitution for a four year term, I'll still defer to him as our first TRUE President and the father of our Nation. A great resource regarding the US Constitution, the Founding Fathers and other founding documents can be found at
Best Regards,
Lou
=)=)=)
