In Search of the Mystery PLanet From: The Washington Post | Date: November 8, 1987| Author: | Copyright 1987 The Washington Post. This material is published under license from the Washington Post.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post.Copyright information

COULD THERE be a tenth planet in our solar system? The idea is not as bizarre as it seems. For years, scientists have been scanning the skies for evidence of "Planet X," as it is called, in the hopes that it might explain such diverse phenomena as the irregular motion of the outer planets, the sudden demise of the dinosaurs and the influence of comets. {See box.} So far, the object-if there is one-has eluded them. But the hypothesis remains enticing, as do the celestial mysteries that prompted the search.

The Widening Horizon

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have been known since ...

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