No, Planet Nine Will Not Send a Wave of Earth-Destroying Comets to Kill Us All

[HuckleB]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2016/04/11/fear_mongering_articles_claim_planet_nine_might_kill_us_all.html

"...

Quite a few people on Twitter and Facebook pointed out this one to me. The guilty party is an article in the U.K. tabloid fish-wrappery the Sun posted on Wednesday. It had this breathless (and grossly ridiculous) headline: “Mysterious Planet Wiped Out Life on Earth Once and Could Do It Again THIS MONTH”.

...

First, Planet Nine has not been “discovered.” At best, astronomers Batygin and Brown found indirect evidence for the existence of a massive planet out past Neptune (as have other astronomers before them). It’s pretty interesting evidence, even compelling, but does not yet add up to a discovery.

Second, Daniel Whitmire does not make the claim that the planet (if it exists) causes extinction events. In a recent paper, he does a bit of math showing that the existence of a trans-Neptunian planet is consistent with the idea of periodic showers of comets raining down on Earth (more on this in a moment), but he does not claim it actually does this. I’m also not sure the planet he hypothesizes is consistent with the evidence presented by Batygin and Brown; some of the orbital and planetary characteristics are similar, others aren’t.

Third, he doesn’t say it “killed all life” on Earth, because that would be really, really dumb. Mass extinctions don’t kill all life on Earth, or else we wouldn’t be here. They kill many, even most, species, but not all. I’m not nitpicking; in an article apparently designed to instill fear, phrasing like that is important.

..."

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You do have to read the whole thing. It's awesome!

[Orrex]

1. So many disappointments.

[redgreenandblue]

2. Wow. That is exactly the plot of "Queen Millenia".

“Mysterious Planet Wiped Out Life on Earth Once and Could Do It Again THIS MONTH”.

Awesome show.

[Warpy]

3. Planet 9 has been proposed because something is messing up the Ooort Cloud

and they've just about ruled out anything else, including the perennial favorite of the black hole that's coming to eat us.

Even if it exists and sends showers of comets our way, they'd take a bloody long time to get here. If the human race can avoid blowing itself to hell by then, chances are we'd have a way to deflect them. Blowing ourselves to hell is the greater danger, in any case.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. We don't have to blow ourselves up

We are doing dandy with the Sixth mass extinction

[Rex]

4. Not so fast...you just say that so we all keep going about our business as usual.

We know the Secret Society of Voles paid you off handsomely. They probably had Space Elvis and Bigfoot (ever notice how Bigfoot isn't called Space Bigfoot - he just appears there somehow next to Elvis in the space ship) on it now, setting up Planet 9 (using super science!) from deep outer space - to hit earth during the Winter Solstice of 2012...er...2021.

I will inform Alex Jones so he may get a head start on chewing threw his restraint straps! Help him Batboy, you're my only hope!

[RedCloud]

5. Predator X, not a planet but a star.

A star will pass within one light year of our star. Since our solar system is now three light years across this spells trouble. And it does not even consider if said star brings its own solar system which could then... well ...

[tkmorris]

8. "A star will pass within one light year of our star"

What on Earth are you talking about? Are you proposing a hypothetical? It sounds like you are stating this as a fact, and if so I'd REALLY like to know who is spreading such nonsense.

[Act_of_Reparation]

21. He's probably talking about Nemesis.

Some woontaics think there's a brown dwarf floating around transneptunian space hurling comets and asteroids at Earth.

[NickB79]

17. Our solar system is NOT 3 light years across. You're off by "only" a factor of 1,000

From the Sun to the Kuiper Belt, you're looking at 7.5 billion miles. So, diameter of Sol system is 15 billion miles.

A light year is 5.88 TRILLION miles. So, our solar system is roughly 0.002 light years in diameter.

[0rganism]

6. it will, on the other hand, bombard us with unsold prints of Ed Wood movies

[HuckleB]

19. Ouch!

[sarisataka]

7. NASA- 1st photos of Planet 9

Enhanced zoom image

[2naSalit]

10. AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

It's the Death Star! and Darth is coming to eat us!

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. What? I thought it was one of the Jovian moons

[Act_of_Reparation]

20. Saturnian, actually.

That's Mimas. The huge crater is Herschel.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Thank you!

It's been a few decades since that science project in Junior High. One of my favorites actually.

[HuckleB]

14. LOL! Awesome!

[OxQQme]

16. Looks like Iapetus: The Original Death Star

https://thedevilinthedetail.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/iapetus-the-original-death-star/

[hatrack]

9. So Pluto is STILL pissed off about the demotion?

Sheesh, get a life, little world!

[TeamPooka]

11. Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers will save us. nt

[Iggo]

15. But it's deadly and, like, approaching and shit. (n/t)

[roamer65]

18. Duck Dodgers from the 24th and one half century to the rescue.

[Buns_of_Fire]

23. Check with the wabbit. He's got something that might help.

[HuckleB]

27. +1

[gratuitous]

24. So the House has to come up with a budget after all?

Somebody let Speaker Ryan know; he seems to think the House doesn't have anything to do for the rest of the year.

[Dr. Strange]

25. Planet 9 from Outer Space?

Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!

Where's my Solaranite?

[tymorial]

26. Phew

I only have 3 more payments and my car is paid off.

[eniwetok]

28. isn't it Planet X? n/t