is it possible that there is another planet orbiting the sun that we on earth cannot see?

Question

as it is always on the other side of the sun to earths orbit

Answer 1

no it isn't. the effects of a planet remotely near our size would have gravitational effects which we would observe, like the ripples in water when a stone is dropped in a lake. Although we would not know exactly what the object was, the ripples would tell us something was dropped. Similarly, if something with the mass of a planet was orbiting in the extremely unlikely exact orbit opposite to our own, it's 'ripples' would have been observable.
There may be small lumps of rock out there but nothing the size of a planet can have escaped detection.

Answer 2

Another planet ? yes quite likely really ; same orbital distance but on the other side of the sun? - not very likely at all. You don't even have to go to the moon to be able to see that part of space, just point a few big telescopes in that direction, even if it was as small as pluto and almost black it would have been seen. The reason you can see all of the earth's orbit from earth is that it doesn't go round the sun in a circle, its an ellipse and according to Kepler ( and a lot of people who agree ) elliptical orbits sweep out equal areas in equal times. So while the earth is nearest the sun it moves through a given angle quicker than when it is far away, this gives people on earth the chance to 'peek round the corner' of the sun to see if there is another planet hiding behind it. If there were another planet it would have to be in an identical elliptical orbit , in anti-phase with the earth, not just the same average orbital distance and if that was the case venus' ( and jupiter) gravitational attraction would still make both the earth and planet x move so they could see each other.

Answer 3

It's a nice idea, but I think not.
It is all to do with gravity you see, that unseen force that effects others: it is gravity that moves the planets, therefore any planet on the opposite side of the Sun from us would be detected, because it would have a gravitational effect on the other planets.

Of course, it could be possible that a very small planet - or planetoid - that has an insignificant gravitational pull on any other stellar object ie planet, is orbiting the Sun, but the chances are miniscule.

We can identify planets beyond our Solar System, so what are the chances of us missing any contained within it?

Answer 4

There are plenty of planets we cannot usually see. We only see them occasionally. Also, there used to be what is essentially an Earth Prime on a similar orbit, but it got destroyed by some really big cosmic event a long time ago and created what is now the asteroid belt.

Answer 5

a million) the sunlight's gravity pulls each and every of the planets and different products in course of it. yet each and every of the orbiting bodies have momentum and consequently their inertia does no longer enable them to fall in course of the sunlight yet basically orbit in a circle. 2) definite, each and every merchandise that has mass (no count number how enormous) might want to have an result on earth. notwithstanding the smaller an merchandise is or the farther away this is the a lot less that result's. 3) as I suggested above, all different products. Mars, Jupiter, comets, even different stars may have a minute result. notwithstanding the biggest result by technique of a concepts is by technique of the sunlight.

Answer 6

I wouldn't put it past the scientific community to miss a whole planet sitting snugly where they haven't yet looked.

We have sent out enough satellites now to get a fair idea of what is floating around the sun with us, but they do keep finding the glasses on their own noses in surprise.

Also, they have this nasty habit of mentioning those asteroids zooming past AFTER they have missed us. Makes one think that they have agreed not to tell us if something nasty is on the way, so that we don't have time to panic and affect the stock market...

Answer 7

Yes it is very possible. It could be very miniscule in size and take longer than Pluto to complete one orbit. It could also not follow a regular orbit, rather a large and broad elliptical orbit.

Anything is possible.

Answer 8

It is not only a mere possibility! Recently has been found new objects circling the Sun. One of them, XENA is bigger than Pluto.That was the main reason why Pluto fell in disgrace! The scientists had two options, or to do what they did or they had to consider XENA a new planet!

Answer 9

There was a (political) movie based on this premise, but I can't recall the name of it. My recollection is that this planet supposedly remained always on the opposite side of the sun from the earth.
An astronaut accidentally wound up on it and found that the entire planet had only one government and that it was communist-controlled. But he survived somehow.

Answer 10

In the direct opposite orbit to us? Yes I would say so