Discovery of a ‘Missing’ Planet, Comparable in Size to Neptune

Yale astronomers have made an intriguing discovery – a planet that had gone unnoticed for quite some time. This planet, named Kepler-150 f, is comparable in size to Neptune and is situated in a solar system located 3,000 light years away from Earth.Typically, computer algorithms are responsible for identifying exoplanets, which are planets found outside of our own solar system. These algorithms analyze data collected from space mission surveys, specifically searching for the distinct transits of planets passing in front of distant stars.

However, there are instances where the computers fail to detect certain celestial bodies. In this particular case, it was a planet within the Kepler-150 system that had a significantly longer orbit around its sun. Kepler-150 f takes approximately 637 days to complete one orbit, making it one of the longest orbital periods among systems with five or more known planets.The Kepler Mission had previously discovered four other planets within the Kepler-150 system – Kepler-150 b, c, d, and e – several years ago. Interestingly, all of these planets have orbits much closer to their sun compared to the newly found planet.

Joseph Schmitt, a graduate student at Yale and the lead author of a recent paper published in the Astronomical Journal, explained that their team was able to identify Kepler-150 f by utilizing a novel technique. By modeling and subtracting the transit signals of the known planets, they were finally able to observe the hidden planet amidst a multitude of other planetary transits.

The study’s co-authors include Debra Fischer, a professor of astronomy at Yale, and Jon Jenkins from NASA’s Ames Research Center.

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