New Earth-Like Planet Hiding in Outer Solar System, Astronomers Suggest

Earth-like planet is believed to be in the Kuiper Belt—“a doughnut-shaped ring of icy objects” encircling the Sun, stretching beyond the orbit of Neptune.

An artist's rendering shows a moon with a diameter roughly 2.6 times that of Earth orbiting a large gas giant planet in another solar system located about 5,700 light years from our solar system, in an undated handout illustration. Helena Valenzuela Widerstrom/Handout via Reuters

Two astronomers in Japan have recently uncovered possible evidence that points to the existence of an Earth-like planet, referred to as “Planet Nine,” in the outer solar system beyond Neptune.

The two astronomers—Patryk Sofia Lykawka of Japan’s Kindai University and Takashi Ito of Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory—published their research study in the Astronomical Journal on Aug. 25.