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List of hypothetical astronomical objects

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Hypothetical astronomical objects are celestial bodies which some believe to exist. These objects might include planets or moons which are inferred to exist based on scientific evidence. Some have yet to be proven or disproven; others are now viewed as protoscience, pseudoscience or obsolete scientific theory. Some such as Tiamat and Nibiru, are fringe science largely grounded in astrological texts usually viewed as anthropological artifacts rather than scientific fact. Planets like Phaeton or Tiamat could be considered "lost lands" in the vein of Atlantis, but on a larger scale. Authors such as Zecharia Sitchin and Burak Eldem have used these ideas as the basis for numerous science fiction stories.

There are many planets and planetary bodies which have been proposed to explain apparent irregularities in other planets' orbits, or other observed effects within or outside our solar system.

Contents

[edit] Hypothetical planets

See also: Hypothetical planet

  • Vulcan: planet proposed by Urbain Le Verrier to explain irregularities of the orbit of Mercury. Disproved by Albert Einstein.
  • Planet X: Planet proposed by Percival Lowell to explain irregularities in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. Disproved by Voyager 2, though some scientists have revived it in a different form.
  • Theia: Mars-sized protoplanet believed to have collided with the Earth 4 billion years ago and formed the Moon.
  • Tenth planet: The various theories of a tenth planet in our solar system, when Pluto was considered the ninth planet.
  • Fifth planet: Historically, a handful of solar system bodies have been counted as the fifth planet from the sun. Under the present definition of a planet, this celestial body is Jupiter. Others have included Ceres and a now destroyed planet which fringe scientists have variously termed Phaeton and Tiamat.
  • Nibiru, a large planet or brown dwarf with a highly eliptical orbit of aproximatly 3,600 years. Similar to Tiamat, this is based on theories propounded by Zecharia Sitchin.

[edit] Hypothetical minor planets

[edit] Hypothetical natural satellites

  • Mercury's moon, a nameless moon of Mercury, which for a short time was believed to exist
  • Neith, a purported moon of Venus, now known not to exist
  • Themisto, a moon of Jupiter discovered in 1975, but lost before sufficient observations of its orbit could be made. In 2000, its existence was confirmed and it became an official moon of Jupiter.
  • Chiron, a disproven moon of Saturn
  • Themis, a moon of Saturn, supposedly discovered in 1905, but later shown not to exist after all
  • Lilith, Earth's "dark moon," which is still used in astrology
  • Gaga, a satellite of Saturn which gravitational disruption caused by Nibiru's passing may have incited to move outside of Neptune and becomes Pluto.

[edit] Hypothetical extrasolar planets

[edit] Hypothetical brown dwarfs

  • Nemesis: binary companion to the Sun proposed by astronomer Richard A. Muller to explain an apparent regularity in mass extinctions throughout Earth's history. According to the theory, as it passes through our system's Oort cloud, its gravitational disturbance sends hordes of comets in towards the Sun, making the probability of an extinction level impact much higher.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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[edit] External links

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