Planet X

Astronomers are welcoming the newest and most distant object in the solar system – a dwarf planet orbiting more than 100 times further from the Sun than Earth. And because its discoverers aren’t the most creative bunch, it’s been dubbed “Farout.”

There could be thousands of dwarf planets – Pluto-sized or smaller – lurking at the very edges of the Sun’s influence. Now, astronomers have spotted a new distant dwarf with an incredibly wide orbit, lending further evidence to the idea that a much bigger “Planet X” is out there somewhere.

If you grew up knowing that there were nine planets orbiting our sun and were a bit crushed when Pluto lost its status, there might be new hope for a nine-pack, as researchers are again putting forth the idea that a planet might be lurking somewhere out there on the fringes of our Solar System.