This is not hypothetical Planet 9.

Pluto isn't quite as lonely as scientists had thought.

Astronomers have discovered another dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt, the ring of icy objects beyond Neptune. But this newfound world, dubbed 2015 RR245, is much more distant than Pluto, orbiting the sun once every 700 Earth years, scientists said. (Pluto completes one lap around the sun every 248 Earth years.) You can see an animation of the new dwarf planet's orbit here.

http://www.space.com/33387-dwarf-planet-discovery-2015-rr245.html

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Crazy stuff.

Something beyond Neptune??

Is there another world lurking beyond Neptune? Strange orbit of new minor planet hints at mysterious object in the outer reaches of our solar system

For a few years now, astronomers have been detecting hints that there may be a mysterious planet lurking undetected in some of the farthest reaches of our solar system.

But a new study suggests there may be a great deal more going on in the cold, dark regions of space beyond the eighth planet orbiting our sun, Neptune.

Scientists have discovered a bizarre new object, less than 124 miles (200km) across, with a strange tilted orbit that sends it high above the flat orbital disk of the rest of the solar system.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3734507/Is-world-lurking-Neptune-Strange-orbit-new-minor-planet-hints-mysterious-object-outer-reaches-solar-system.html#ixzz4H4535jLw

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Scientists have discovered a bizarre new object, less than 124 miles (200km) across, with a strange tilted orbit that sends it high above the flat orbital disk of the rest of the solar system.

Niku was found to orbit 110 degrees off the orbital plane of the solar system?
Makes no sense to me.
An orbit can only be between +- 90 degrees off an orbital plane.

Pluto has an orbit that is above the orbital disk as well.
By 17 degrees.

Ah, found a news item that explains it - the 110 degree tilt is used to indicate the object is orbiting in the wrong direction. That is to say its orbit is in the opposite direction to the majority of the other objects in the Solar system.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2100700-mystery-object-in-weird-orbit-beyond-neptune-cannot-be-explained/

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Ah, found a news item that explains it - the 110 degree tilt is used to indicate the object is orbiting in the wrong direction. That is to say its orbit is in the opposite direction to the majority of the other objects in the Solar system.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2100700-mystery-object-in-weird-orbit-beyond-neptune-cannot-be-explained/

Hmmm.
So if Niku should be orbiting in the same direction as the other objects in the solar system the tilt would be 20 degrees.
I see, I think:)

Whatever.
That Niku is orbiting in an opposite direction is very remarkable.
The tilt is unrelevant.

Ah, found a news item that explains it - the 110 degree tilt is used to indicate the object is orbiting in the wrong direction. That is to say its orbit is in the opposite direction to the majority of the other objects in the Solar system.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2100700-mystery-object-in-weird-orbit-beyond-neptune-cannot-be-explained/

Hmmm.
So if Niku should be orbiting in the same direction as the other objects in the solar system the tilt would be 20 degrees.
I see, I think:)

Whatever.
That Niku is orbiting in an opposite direction is very remarkable.
The tilt is unrelevant.

Perhaps try thinking negative 70 degrees north, something like that?

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Capitalize on this good fortune, one word can bring you round ... changes.

Ah, found a news item that explains it - the 110 degree tilt is used to indicate the object is orbiting in the wrong direction. That is to say its orbit is in the opposite direction to the majority of the other objects in the Solar system.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2100700-mystery-object-in-weird-orbit-beyond-neptune-cannot-be-explained/

Hmmm.
So if Niku should be orbiting in the same direction as the other objects in the solar system the tilt would be 20 degrees.
I see, I think:)
Whatever.
That Niku is orbiting in an opposite direction is very remarkable.
The tilt is unrelevant.

Perhaps try thinking negative 70 degrees north, something like that?

Yes perhaps:)
I think Rob have come up with the right answer.
One could imagine that Pluto would raise it's orbit to 90 degrees by some unknown force.
That's not so hard to grasp but if the force pull Pluto and lower it's orbit further on to 180 degrees there is no tilt at all.
The only difference is the orbital direction and that north becomes south on Pluto.

I think it is more likely that Niku is in the process of being captured into Solar orbit, having come from somewhere else in the galaxy. This would explain the "wrong direction", and the strange inclination of its orbit. Obviously this process is "slow" in comparison to our observation period, but it would be fascinating to be able to come back in a few million years and see how its orbit had developed.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

it would be fascinating to be able to come back in a few million years and see how its orbit had developed.

Wouldn't it? Thanx for the interesting links, Lynn!

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rOZZ
Music
Pictures

What's Up with 'Niku'? Object's Weird Orbit Puzzles Scientists

A mysterious object in the outer reaches of the solar system is revolving around the sun in an abnormal way, and scientists currently cannot explain why.

The object has been nicknamed Niku, a Chinese adjective that means "rebellious," by the group of researchers who announced its discovery in August. This name was chosen because the object's orbit is retrograde, meaning it moves in the opposite direction of nearly everything else in the solar system.

http://www.space.com/34479-niku-weird-objects-orbit-puzzles-scientists.html

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