An object orbiting the sun. Backwards.

They found a new object again. This time it orbits the Sun backwards. Article here.

I wonder when they realize to look our skies from places planets are not known to orbit in. By this I intent to say that we have only looked from same exact direction where other commonly known planets are. I don't know what english word that might be because this is not my native language, but I suppose looking horizontally instead of vertically identical places would do that.

We know in which plane and direction planets are, but we haven't turned our telescopes to find out whether something orbits in 90 degrees another plane.

We haven't studied that. At all. And then we think we know how a solar system is supposed to work.

This is an interesting object. According to the article, comets have orbits on a different plane from the planets. It seems that astronomers would look for signs of any planets that might orbit on different planes than the current known planets. It is strange that the planets all orbit on the same plane. I think this gives considerable strenght to the electric sun theory, with the poles of the sun determining the plane on which the planets orbit.

I think it is also amazing that they can trach an object only 500KM in diamater orbiting the sun so far away.

reply to post by rawsom


They do look all over the sky. There are tens of thousands of telescopes scanning the entire sky every single day. To say astronomers make assumptions about where to look and only stick to them is ridiculous. They are trying to discover as much as they can about the universe, and especially our solar system. To find a new body is a great accolade, and all would love to do so.

Occasionally, it is important to remember that "true" science is a discipline. Methodology is extremely important. You start at step one and proceed to step two..., no matter how tempting it may be to look into step three first. You simply can look at everything all at once, thus I am not surprised that there is much 'empty' space they haven't examined yet.

On the other hand, these scientists often become politically and academically relevant beyond the scope of their research and get 'influenced' unduly by things that have NOTHING to do with the systematic acquisition of knowledge..., things like money and fame.

The thing is that plane - or direction - planets orbit in is the only plane that has been extensively studied. I'm well aware that amateurs look for skies beyond that, but I also know as fact that the system Solar System is in is so much accepted that, it is next to impossible to even convince scientists to look elsewhere. It is them who have telescopes that have enough power to actually detect something that isn't obvious even to ancients.

And, well, yes, there are a handful of amateurs who have such telescopes, but they are usually ones who already accept all as granted. I know that in astronomy, nothing much is granted, except our theories about our own Solar System when it comes to plane of planets orbiting.

There is belief in everything. Can somebody point me to a single study of sky searching for moving objects that is NOT in plane of currently known orbiting bodies? There is no such study, and this one was found by accident.

I don't believe we are ever going to find a planet X or that there are large, planet size, bodies in that plane, but there must be an immense amount of matter orbiting.