It’s common knowledge that there are eight planets in our solar system. Or are there? Astronomers are starting to think that there might be a ninth planet tucked away, right on the edge of our solar system.

The suspected ninth planet, known as Planet Nine, or as NASA calls is, Planet X, has been discussed as a possibility now since way back in 2016.

The ninth planet in our solar system was first brought up as a possibility when two astronomers from the California Institute of Technology found evidence of a gravitational force, large enough to be a planet, beyond Neptune.

Astronomers believe our solar system may have a ninth planet (Getty Stock Images)

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For anyone that’s a little confused, and thinking, but what about Pluto? While Pluto was once considered the ninth planet in our solar system, it was stripped of its planetary status back in 2006 and is now considered a dwarf-planet.

With astronomers hot on the heels of Planet X, it might not be too long before our solar system jumps back up to having nine planets, again.

While the study was focusing on 13 potential planets, it has now been reduced down to just one.

A single entity that astronomers believe might be our Planet X, and could even potentially have signs of life.

But, before you grab your coat and prepare for a trip to visit this new alien planet, just make sure you’re prepared for a trip to a planet that is approximately 46.5 billion to 65.1 billion miles away, it might take a while.

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Illustration of the solar system (Getty Stock Images)

Speaking of grabbing your coat, the planet is so far from the sun, most scientists believe it would be an ice giant with temperatures estimated to be as cold as -409°F (-245°C). Essentially making a trip to the Antarctica feel like a holiday in the Bahamas in comparison.

Not only would Planet X be too cold to support a huge variety of life, it would also be too far from the sun to supply enough energy for many lifeforms to exist.

Under these extreme conditions, scientists believe the planet would only be able to support life known as extremophile, microbes which are able to survive even in the most harsh environments.

When talking about Planet Nine, or Planet X, NASA said: “It could also make our solar system seem a little more ‘normal’.”

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What they’re talking about here is that the most common types of planets in our galaxy are super Earths – bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. Planet X would fall under this category.

It also explains why the Kuiper Belt is tilted by about 20 degrees. With Planet Nine/Planet X gravity pulling on these objects, it would make sense that it would impact their obit, making the entire ice belt fall out of line with other planets orbiting the sun.

The search for life beyond our own planet is something that astronomers have been doing for decades now, with no results.

But on April 17, a study was published revealing that a team of astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), led by Nikku Madhusudhan, had discovered gases on an exoplanet called K2-18b that could only be produced by life.

Right off the bat, many astronomers were a little skeptical about the claim, saying there wasn’t robust evidence to support the findings.

“Discoveries like this … usually takes a long time to confirm, and many times it turned out not true,” Yanqin Wu told CBC News on the day it was announced. “That’s just the disappointment in real scientific endeavour. Extraordinary claims usually takes a lot of proof and usually are wrong.”

Now, a new independent analysis of the JWST data has found no evidence of biosignatures, signs that the planet’s gases may have a biological origin.

Madhusudhan and his colleagues used data collected from JWST of the planet passing in front of its host star, K2-18, and the different molecules that were observed in the spectra. This method is useful for determining which chemicals are in the air of a planet.

The study found the presence of two gases — dimethyl sulfide, or DMS, and dimethyl disulfide, or DMDS — which are typically produced on Earth by algae.

But Jake Taylor, a planetary scientist who also studies exoplanets using JWST data, used that data and examined it using a different method than the Madhusudhan-led study and was unable to replicate the findings. He published his results on the pre-print site ArXiv.

WATCH | Scientists make ‘major breakthrough’ in search for life outside solar system: Scientists make ‘major breakthrough’ in search for life outside solar system Duration 1:43 Prof. Nikku Madhusudhan, a Cambridge University astrophysicist, says the discovery of two gases — dimethyl sulfide, or DMS, and dimethyl disulfide, or DMDS — in the atmosphere of a planet will be seen as a ‘paradigm shift in our search for life.’ Scientists used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to make the discovery about K2-18 b, a planet found about 124 light-years from Earth.

In his method, he used an “agnostic” approach, meaning he didn’t look for any sulfur gases that could be signs of life like there are here on Earth. The result was a “flat line” rather than any wiggles in the data, meaning that the dips found in the initial study were statistical noise — random information that can effect study results.

Taylor said he was excited about the study and thought it was good in some ways, but “when it came to the atmospheric physics side, I noticed that they didn’t give too much detail about their flat-line rejection tests.”

He explained these tests are “kind of a standard within the field” to do first in order to ensure there isn’t noise in the data.

He said he did speak with Madhusudhan personally about this last week, who reassured him that the rejection tests had been conducted, though they weren’t contained in the study itself.

Though he said the current data from JWST didn’t provide enough confidence in a biosignature detection, it doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen with additional data.

“It’s a good first step in in this sort of endeavour, because this is a spectral range we’ve never seen before. So just that in itself is pretty cool,” Taylor said. “We definitely would need more observations to get a better signal. And who knows, it might pop out, it might be there. It’s just right now, the signal-to-noise ratio is not definitive.”

Asked if there needs to be more rigorous examinations of such claims, Taylor said, “I think there needs to be more discussions about this. I do personally think that there needs to be multiple lines of evidence, and also there needs to be like a model independent confirmation that we see something.”

Taylor admitted he was a big fan of The X-Files, a sci-fi show that largely focused on finding proof of alien life on Earth. Its most touted catchphrase was “I want to believe.”

He also noted that planetary scientists looking for signs of life on exoplanets do really want to one day find that robust sign of life, though it’s not like we could ever visit the exoplanet to confirm with certainty.

“We want to believe,” he said. “But we want to do it correctly.”

AI-assisted summary K2-18b resides within the habitable zone of its star, making the presence of liquid water and thus life possible.

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers detected molecules in K2-18b’s atmosphere that are associated with life on Earth.

Astronomers at the University of Cambridge in England announced on April 17 that they had found the strongest evidence yet that life may exist somewhere besides Earth.

Using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the researchers detected atmospheric clues hinting that microbial organisms could be living on the surface of K2-18b, visible in the constellation Leo.

And although the first sign of possible extraterrestrials detected in the cosmos didn’t come in the form of little green aliens flying around in saucer-shaped spacecrafts, it doesn’t make the recent discovery any less exciting.

In fact, the life that could be — thriving on a distant ocean-covered planet named K2-18b is likely not intelligent at all.

Here’s everything to know about the discovery, the exoplanet and the search for life in the cosmos.

Is there alien life on K2-18b?

A strong possibility exists that extraterrestrial life can be found on a distant exoplanet known as K2-18b.

Using observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the researchers were able to find possible hints of molecules and gases that, on Earth, are signs of life.

If anything is indeed living on the planet, it likely would be microorganisms akin to Earth’s phytoplankton.

What is an exoplanet?

Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars outside of Earth’s own solar system. For that reason, the celestial bodies are sometimes also referred to as extrasolar planets.

Some, called rogue planets, don’t even orbit a star, but are floating through the cosmos untethered.

Astronomers have confirmed the existence of more than 5,800 exoplanets, but billions are thought to exist, according to NASA.

Why are astronomers interested in K2-18b?

K2-18b is considered a Hycean exoplanet — as opposed to a rocky planet — due to its potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and surface covered in ocean water.

Since it was discovered in 2015, K2-18b, which orbits a red dwarf star more than 120 light-years from Earth, has captivated scientists who have considered it among the best potential life-harboring ocean worlds.

The first observations in 2019 confirming the possible presence of water were made with the Hubble Space Telescope.

In September 2023, another investigation with Webb — an advanced telescope launched in 2021 outfitted with powerful infrared instruments — revealed something more: traces of carbon-bearing molecules in K2-18b’s atmosphere, including methane and carbon dioxide.

What is a ‘habitable zone?’

These conditions classify the exoplanet as being in what astronomers refer to as the habitable zone — where planets have the right conditions for water, providing a key ingredient for life to flourish.

Astronomers even refer to planets with such conditions as “Goldilocks” zones because conditions have to be just right — neither too hot nor too cold — for water to remain in liquid form and pool on surfaces.

How big is exoplanet K2-18b?

K2-18b is 8.6 times bigger than Earth.

The planet’s large size — with a radius 2.6 times that of Earth — means the planet’s interior likely contains a large mantle of high-pressure ice, like Neptune, according to astronomers.

K2-18b is also smaller than Neptune, making it what astronomers refers to as a “sub-Neptune” planet that, while not present in our solar system, is what NASA says is among “the most common type of planet known so far in the galaxy.”

How did astronomers make the recent discovery?

For the most recent discovery, a team of researchers used a different instrument outfitted to Webb to study the light from K2-18b’s parent star as the planet passed in front of it from Earth’s vantage.

As starlight passed through the planet’s atmosphere, the clues left behind allowed for astronomers to piece together the gases in the atmosphere and detect a possible biosignature. On Earth, the sulfur-based gases they detected are only produced by life, primarily microbial life.

The observations could have occurred by chance or could be the result of previously unknown chemical processes at work on K2-18b, according to the researchers. The team hopes to make follow-up analysis with Webb to reach a more definitive conclusion.

Where else are astronomers searching for life?

In our solar system, Earth is one of only three planets, along with Mars and Venus, that fall within the habitable zone.

On Mars, two of NASA’s robotic rovers are in the process of searching the now-barren planet for clues that life could have existed on its surface.

As of October, NASA has also sent its uncrewed Europa Clipper spacecraft on a far-reaching journey to one of Jupiter’s many moons where water is believed to exist beneath an icy surface. Once the orbiter reaches the icy moon Europa in 2030, it will begin scouring the surface from above to look for signs that life could thrive.

Otherwise, NASA, the world’s space agencies and other astronomers believe the best opportunity to discover life beyond Earth may exist outside our solar system.

What other ways are scientists looking for life?

Organizations like the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute are dedicated to exploring the cosmos for extraterrestrial neighbors. SETI even harnessed technology to expand its search beyond our own galaxy.

The Institute conducts activities in three arenas: 1. astrobiology, the efforts to find and understand the prevalence of life in general (for example, microbial life under the parched landscapes of Mars or the icy crust of the jovian moon Europa); 2. SETI, experiments designed to detect radio or light signals that would reveal the presence of technically sophisticated beings, and 3. education and outreach projects that inform the public about our research, encourage young people to become more proficient in science, engage the general public in science research, and train teachers in STEM subject areas.

Have aliens visited Earth?

There’s no proof any alien civilization has visited Earth. That hasn’t stopped thousands of people from reporting UFOs, UAPs and other unusual phenomena.

Historically, Michigan ranks 10th in the U.S. for reports of “unidentified aerial phenomena” (UAP) to NUFORC with 3,794 since an incident in 1936. That’s just 24 behind North Carolina for ninth place. California ranks first, with 16,735. That is almost twice as many as the second-place state, Florida, which has 8,624 reported sightings.

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The findings came from a team of researchers at the University of Cambridge who studied data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to find molecules in the atmosphere of a planet known as K2-18b.

On Earth, the gases are only produced by life, primarily microbial life such as marine algae like phytoplankton, according to the researchers.

Since then, other independent astronomers who took their own look at the data and came to their own highly skeptical conclusions.

Back in April, the world became captivated by the news that maybe, just maybe, we weren’t alone in the universe after all.

If extraterrestrials were to exist on a distant exoplanet as a team of astronomers theorized, it wouldn’t exactly be intelligent life, but – hey – it was something. The explosive findings came from a team of researchers at the University of Cambridge who studied data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to find molecules in the atmosphere of a planet known as K2-18b that could have been created by organisms akin to marine algae.

But then along came other independent astronomers who took their own look at the data and came to their own highly skeptical conclusions. A series of studies since the April 17 announcement have cast doubt on the sensational claim that what the initial researchers had found was “the strongest evidence yet” that life exists anywhere else besides Earth.

“The data we have so far is much too noisy for the proof that would be needed to make that claim,” Rafael Luque, an astronomer at the University of Chicago, who led the most recent study, said in a statement. “There’s just not enough certainty to say one way or the other.”

Here’s everything to know about K2-18b, and just what potential it has to harbor alien life.

What is exoplanet K2-18b?

K2-18b, which orbits a red dwarf star more than 120 light-years from Earth, has for years intrigued astronomers who believe it could be among the best places to search for signs of extraterrestrial life.

The cosmic body is an exoplanet, meaning it orbits a star outside of Earth’s own solar system.

First discovered in 2015 during NASA’s planet-hunting K2 mission, K2-18b likely orbits its star in what astronomers refer to as the “habitable zone” – where conditions could allow for water. In a nod to the classic fairy tale, astronomers even refer to these regions as “Goldilocks” zones because conditions have to be just right – neither too hot nor too cold – for water to remain in liquid form and pool on planetary surfaces.

Interestingly, K2-18b, which is 8.6 times bigger than Earth, isn’t rocky like our planet. Rather, observations have allowed scientists to conclude that the exoplanet could be a Hycean world covered by ocean water underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.

Could alien life thrive on K2-18b? What to know about the distant exoplanet

Have they found life on K2-18b?

The latest findings on K2-18b came from a team of researchers led by Nikku Madhusudhan, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge in England.

Because the planet is too far and too faint to observe directly with ground telescopes, astronomers had to get creative.

In this case, the team studied data from the Webb Telescope gathered from observing K2-18b as the planet crossed in front of its star, causing starlight to filter through the planet’s atmosphere. As the light passed through the planet’s atmosphere, different amounts of light were blocked at different wavelengths, depending on what molecules are present.

That’s what led Madhusudhan and his team to detect hints of sulfur-based gases dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) in the atmosphere – both molecules from the same chemical family.

On Earth, the gases are only produced by life, primarily microbial life such as marine algae like phytoplankton, according to the researchers.

Scientists cast doubt on signs of alien life on K2-18b

Since then, at least three different studies have largely dismissed the notion that any compelling evidence has been found to yet suggest life exists on K2-18b.

In the most recent study led by Luque, researchers reviewed data from multiple observations of the planet.

After combining observations of K2-18b in both the near-infrared light and longer wavelengths of mid-infrared light, the team concluded that it did not detect dimethyl sulfide. What’s more, they found that other molecules, not just those possibly indicating signs of life, could explain the questionable discovery.

In an earlier study published to arXiv, Jake Taylor, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford, took a look at the Webb telescope data using a common data model for exoplanet studies and came to much the same conclusion: Taylor found no evidence of the atmospheric clues that were so integral in the Cambridge study’s findings.

Madhusudhan, who has issued rebuttals to some of the findings dismissing his potential discovery, has readily acknowledged that his team’s observations are in need of further review. In announcing the findings, Madhusudhan conceded the molecules observed could have occurred by chance or could be the result of previously unknown chemical processes at work on K2-18b.

Regardless, it appears astronomers all agree that we may not be as close as we thought to determining whether anything does indeed live on K2-18b.

“Answering whether there is life outside the solar system is the most important question of our field. It is why we are all studying these planets,” Luque said in a statement. “We are making enormous progress in this field, and we don’t want that to be overshadowed by premature declarations.”

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

Pluto may have lost its planetary status, but the solar system might not be done adding to its roster. Astronomers from Taiwan, Japan, and Australia now claim to have uncovered fresh evidence of a mysterious celestial body lurking far beyond Neptune — one that could even harbour life.

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For years, space scientists have made headlines uncovering cosmic wonders — from trillion-dollar asteroids to Earth-threatening rocks and deep-space water pools. Yet one enigma has continued to nag them: the elusive Planet X, also dubbed Planet Nine.

Originally proposed by Caltech astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown, Planet X was believed to exist in the farthest reaches of the solar system. Despite persistent speculation, NASA has maintained there is no official discovery.

Now, new findings yet to be peer-reviewed offer more weight to the theory. The team behind the research used data from two infrared satellites to track object displacement over decades. They observed a slow but consistent drift of an object across three ‘arcminutes’ per year, a tiny sliver of sky movement that they believe is Planet X.

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According to the data, the object is situated between 46.5 billion and 65.1 billion miles from Earth — about 14 times farther than Pluto at its closest. That’s roughly 0.008 to 0.011 light-years away.

At that distance, a spacecraft would take about 305 years to reach it. Once there, a single orbit of the Sun would last between 10,000 and 20,000 Earth years due to its massive elliptical path.

The planet is estimated to have a mass 7 to 17 times that of Earth and could resemble Neptune or Uranus in its icy structure, with temperatures dipping to between -220°C and -245°C.

Intriguingly, scientists believe it could support extremophiles — microorganisms capable of surviving extreme conditions, potentially making it a remote but viable candidate for life in the solar system.

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The find follows the recent discovery of a habitable Earth-like planet 124 light-years away, though reaching that world would take nearly 5 million years using current spacecraft technology.