Mysterious 'Planet Nine' may be pulling our solar system out of whack

Byline: Josh King

The sun and planets in our solar system are tilted, and the culprit may be the as-yet-unseen Planet Nine, lurking deep in the Milky Way.

According to Elizabeth Bailey, lead author on a new study from Caltech, the mysterious Planet Nine is apparently "...so massive and has an orbit tilted compared to the other planets, the solar system has no choice but to slowly twist out of alignment."

The tilt is an estimated six degrees, and mathematically, Planet Nine's estimated size, distance and unusual orbit fit perfectly within the new hypothesis.

Until now, no one has found a compelling explanation that would explain the tilt.

The planet is believed to be about ten times the size of Earth and influences the orbit of many object in the Kuiper Belt, which is how scientists suspected the planet existed to begin with.

Researchers hope to learn more about the mystery planet and it's unusual orbit. However, actual proof it even exists could take three years or longer. Hopefully, by then, we'll have come up with a better name for it than "Planet Nine."