Japanese find mysterious 'Planet X'

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:42:30

Japanese astronomers believe a mysterious new planet dubbed 'Planet X' is orbiting in the outer reaches of the Earth's solar system.

Kobe University scientists claim 'Planet X' is about two-thirds the size of the Earth and has the same elliptical solar orbit.

"The possibility is high that a yet unknown, planet-class celestial body, measuring 30 percent to 70 percent of the Earth's mass, exists in the outer edges of the solar system," said a Kobe University statement.

The discovery comes two years after the International Astronomical Union excluded Pluto from the list of planets, saying the solar system consists solely of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

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