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Relevant part: For the recent work, [Michael] Rowan-Robinson redid his search from nearly 40 years ago and found three points in the data from late summer 1983
by starwind 5y ago
Relevant part:
For the recent work, [Michael] Rowan-Robinson redid his search from nearly 40 years ago and found three points in the data from late summer 1983 that indicate some object moving across the sky. The data sources sit low on the galactic plane, though, meaning that the satellite was taking the data through plenty of dusty, cloudy material that can emit infrared light.
In other words, the work is something of a long shot. And Rowan-Robinson is well aware of that. “Given the poor quality of the IRAS detections, at the very limit of the survey, and in a very difficult part of the sky for far infrared detections, the probability of the candidate being real is not overwhelming,” he wrote in his paper.
- _Microft 5y agoIsn’t that bigger news than it sounds at first? Part of the problem of finding planet nine must be knowing where it currently is on its orbit. A few possible observations should help to narrow down the space in which to look for it by a lot (rather: would make it almost clear where it currently is). Maybe JWST could be of help with testing the hypothesis that these early infrared observations of a moving object were of planet nine - once it has finally and savely launched and begun its operations?
- xook 5y agoWould have commented this same thing. It should be a matter of translating the coordinates into a search pattern to look at with JWST.
- samus 5y agoEvery millisecond on JWST is booked years in advance already. Unless Planet 9 searchers turn up with some good guesses and not just a search pattern, other research with far more likelyhood of success has priority.
- AareyBaba 5y agoFinding it may be complicated if it is hiding behind a cloaking device.