Indirect evidence of the existence of massive trans-Neptunian planets has been obtained.

Space magazine tells about a study conducted by Spanish astronomers. They argue that outside of Neptune may be located other, unknown planets of the solar system. They arrived at this conclusion by studying the properties of thirteen trans-Neptune (located outside the orbit of Neptune) objects. A theory that predicts the behavior of these objects requires them to move in orbits around the Sun, whose average radius is about 150 AU, while the orbits should be almost in the plane of rotation of the rest of the planets of our system. Instead, real data obtained from observations of objects indicate a large scatter of their orbits, both in diameter (from 150 to 525 AU) and in slope (up to 20 degrees).

The leader of the research team, Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, says: “Such deviations from the expected parameters of the observed objects led us to the idea that their forces are unknown yet. We believe that the most likely explanation for these phenomena may be the presence in the solar system of at least two major planets beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto. " These planets should be more massive than the Earth, and located at distances of more than 200 AU. from the Sun — which makes it impossible to detect them with existing instruments.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that scientists have announced the existence of the mysterious Planet X outside the orbit of Neptune. In March 2014, astronomers Chadwick Truillo and Scot Shepard announced the discovery of VP113, a dwarf planet not approaching the Sun closer than 80 AU. She became the second after Sedna known inhabitant of the "Oort cloud". Astronomers, investigating the behavior of VP113 and Sedna, concluded that some massive (at least 10 times heavier than the Earth) cosmic body, which is in orbit with a diameter of about 250 A. e, clearly affects their orbits ... Of course, the existence of such planets will be confirmed, it marks a new revolution in astronomy.