Researchers the University of Technology California claim Planet Nine is responsible for causing the solar system to “wobble” due to its massive size.

Astronomers at the Canberra-based university are investigating four unknown objects that could be candidates for a new planet in our cosmic neighbourhood, often referred to as Planet Nine. The project is being helped along by amateur stargazers from all around the world following the launch of the team’s planetary search on the BBC’s Stargazing Live broadcast from the ANU Siding Spring Observatory.

The initiative uses the 1.3-metre SkyMapper telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory in order to rule out areas in the southern sky where Planet Nine could be situated. Members of the public have been able to scan through thousands of images on the project website to help classify certain celestial objects.

SkyMapper is creating a full record of the southern sky for Australian astronomers and the team is working to confirm whether or not the unknown space objects are Planet Nine, dwarf planets or asteroids by using telescopes at Siding Spring and around the world.

Lead researcher Dr Brad Tucker from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics said about 60,000 people have helped classify over four million objects in space as part of the ANU-led citizen search for the elusive planet.

“With the help of tens of thousands of dedicated volunteers sifting through hundreds of thousands of images taken by SkyMapper, we have achieved four years of scientific analysis in under three days,” he said.

“We’ve detected minor planets Chiron and Comacina, which demonstrates the approach we’re taking could find Planet Nine if it’s there.”

The ANU Planet Nine search team with celebrity astronomer Brian Cox.Source:Supplied

WHAT IS PLANET NINE?

The massive celestial body has so far escaped our detection but the currently hypothetical planet which is believed to sit at the edge of our solar system certainly seems to make its presence known.

Even though its believed to be 10 times the size of Earth, it has likely escaped the gaze of telescopes because it is so far away from the Sun.

The scientists who first suggested its existence early last year believe they’ve found proof of the influence it yields over its cosmic neighbours.

Researchers the University of Technology California claim Planet Nine is responsible for causing the solar system to “wobble” due to its massive size and gravitational pull.

Researchers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown first discovered the planet’s existence through mathematical modelling and computer simulations.

Researchers the University of Technology California claim Planet Nine is responsible for causing the solar system to “wobble” due to its massive size.Source:Supplied

It’s important to remember that at this point, the planet is still very much hypothetical. But the theory is underpinned by the measurement of unusual outcomes in the solar system which are otherwise tough to explain.

It is the same technique astronomers used to find Neptune.

NASA has previously warned that it is too early to confirm the existence of Planet Nine for certain but pledged “if it’s there, we’ll find it.”

Some science buffs have long believed in the existence of a distant ninth planet, but there was never any real evidence to support such a claim.

However that has certainly changed last year with a number of mathematically-based papers published which support the idea.