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And now it's time for Who Smarted?
Psst.
Hey there, smarty pants.
Welcome to another adventure in the far reaches of the solar system.
Right now I'm coming to you from the USS Smarty Pants, boldly going beyond the farthest known planets, circling the sun in search of me.
No, Pluto, not you.
We're looking for something nobody has ever seen before.
Ever since Neptune was first discovered in 1846, astronomers have been searching for another world beyond the ninth planet of the solar system.
But that's me.
I'm the ninth planet.
Well, um, you know, Pluto, we did do a whole Who Smarted episode on this.
You're now known as a dwarf planet, and you aren't included with the major solar system planets.
But, but, but, but... Yes?
I thought maybe it changed your mind?
Sorry, Pluto.
Besides, I'm not the one calling the shots here.
You'll always be the ninth planet in my heart.
Aww.
But most astronomers say Planet 9 has yet to be found, if it exists at all.
But it do exist.
The New Horizons probe stopped by for a visit.
There are lots of pictures of me.
I know.
Once again, you're not a planet.
You're a dwarf planet.
And dwarf planets don't matter much.
Of course they do.
In fact, it's the behavior of a dwarf planet that has astronomers on a new search to find a world beyond Neptune.
Ooh!
And that's what we're exploring today, Smarty Pants.
Oh, so I'm helping astronomers find another planet?
That makes me feel a lot better.
Hmm, they thought they could just push little old Pluto aside.
Well, it looks like this dwarf planet's about to get some major solar crit.
How do you like them apples?
Um, I don't know how to say this without upsetting you Pluto, but it wasn't you I was talking about.
When I said a dwarf planet was helping, I meant someone else.
Actually, it's a bunch of objects in the far end of the solar system, known as the Kuiper Belt.
And all of them are acting kind of funny.
But these objects...
Or not you.
Oh.
But maybe you can help me find it today?
Really?
You mean we get to go on an adventure?
Sure, but we'll have to travel far.
How far?
That's a question for the Smarty Pants.
Where is the mysterious ninth planet?
Does it really exist?
How big might it be?
And why is it so hard to find?
It's time for another whiff of science and history on... The Smart Ants!
Who Smarted?
Who's smart?
Is it you?
Is it me?
Is it science?
Or history?
Listen up, everyone.
We make smarting lots of fun on Who Smarted?
Hey, smarty pants, I'm so glad you've beamed aboard.
We're now traveling billions of kilometers to find the mysterious ninth planet of the solar system.
Along for the ride is our good friend, the formerly known as planet Pluto.
Hi, um, trustee, are you sure it's okay that I come with you?
Well, we're probably breaking numerous laws of physics by having a dwarf planet travel with us, as small as you might be.
But since this is a podcast, let's just go with it.
Great, great.
So just how far are we going?
Good question.
Let's think of it in terms of M&M candies.
Smarty pants.
Imagine one MM is equal to the distance from the sun to the earth, with the sun at one edge and the earth on the opposite side.
In scientific terms, this is called one astronomical unit, or AU.
Now, how many MMs would you have to place side by side in a line to represent the distance from the Sun to Pluto?
20, 39, or 57?
Again, each M&M represents the distance from the Earth to the Sun.
Did you bring any M&Ms for me?
Uh, no.
These are not for snacking.
They're for demonstrating planet distances.
Oh, I see.
You'd rather use your delicious chocolate candy on a scientific demo than share some with your old pal?
Sad little lonely planet.
Dwarf planet?
Right.
Dwarf planet.
Okay, you can have some M&M's.
Thanks.
Back to our demo, smarty pants.
If one MM is equal to one AU the distance from the Sun to the Earth you'd need 39 of them in a straight line to illustrate the distance from the Sun to Pluto.
That's 39 AU.
Next question.
How far away do astronomers think this mysterious ninth planet might be?
50 AU, 100 AU, or 200 AU?
200 AU?!
!
We're going to need a bigger bag of M&Ms.
Actually, we're going to need many bags.
Astronomers believe this ninth planet could be 600 to 1200 AU from the sun, beyond the icy Kuiper Belt where Pluto lives.
Its great distance from the sun makes it very hard to find.
So why do astronomers think this planet even exists?
Oh, because of a dwarf planet called Sedna.
Hold on, hold on.
Gotcha there, Captain Narrator.
In a Dwarf Planets episode, you said there are only five Dwarf Planets.
And Sedna ain't one of them.
Smartypants, what do you think?
True or false?
There are only five official Dwarf Planets.
The answer is true.
Aha!
But... But?
But those are the dwarf planets officially named by the International Astronomical Union.
You might remember that astronomers have discovered more than 700 objects that could be dwarf planets, and one of those is nicknamed Sedna.
Oh.
I'm fine.
So what's so great about Sedna anyway?
Oh, Sedna has an unusual orbit that takes it far, far away from the sun.
Instead of being circular like other Kuiper Belt objects, it's elongated, stretched out, as if it was yanked by the gravity of a distant object.
The ninth planet?
Maybe.
Objects do get knocked around in space, and at first, Sedna's orbit seemed like a random occurrence.
But it's not alone.
Astronomers have found at least six other Kuiper Belt objects with similar orbits, tilted the same way, being pulled in the same direction as Sedna.
Ooh!
The chances of this happening randomly are incredibly small.
After studying these objects, two astronomers from the California Institute of Technology, or Caltech, concluded that a ninth planet might be affecting their orbits.
They say this planet could be located about 600 astronomical units from the sun which, according to my made-up calculations, is right where we are now.
Right now.
Hello.
Are you the ninth planet of the solar system?
I might be.
The name's X. Planet X. X?
But isn't X the Roman numeral for ten?
Why, yes, it is.
Wait, could that mean I'm still number nine and you're number ten?
Am I a planet again?
No, Pluto, sorry.
I don't think that's the case.
Ah, okay.
I guess little old me will just have to settle for more M&Ms.
Smartypants, why would the mysterious ninth planet be called Planet X?
Does X stand for extra special, X marks the spot, or something unknown?
Well, you can X out the first two answers because X means something unknown.
And there's a lot unknown about me.
I like to remain mysterious.
Is that why you're wearing sunglasses, a ski mask, and a giant coat?
Maybe.
It's also really cold out here.
Either way, the Caltech astronomers have been unlocking the mystery.
Really?
What do they know?
They believe Planet X has 10 times the mass of Earth and is about the size of one of the two so-called twin gas giants.
Sorry, M&Ms give me gas too.
Right.
Smarty Pants.
Do you remember what two gas planets are called twins because of their similar size and color?
Is it A, Jupiter and Saturn, B, Uranus and Neptune, or C, Earth and Venus?
The answer is B, Uranus and Neptune.
Maybe I'm their long-lost triplet.
You're certainly a long distance from them.
Yeah.
How long does it take you to orbit the sun from way out here?
It takes me about 248 Earth years.
Longer than any of the so-called major planets.
After 248 Earth years, my voyage around the sun is just beginning.
Smartypants, how many years would it take for Planet X to orbit the sun?
Just shout out your answers.
Nope.
A thousand?
Not even close.
A million?
Okay, that's too long.
The answer, according to the Caltech astronomers, is somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 years.
That means whenever Planet X is found, it will be in a location it hasn't been in since well before ancient times.
That is, if you ever find me.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Oh, with top scientists using math and science to calculate your location and with the Earth's most powerful telescope searching.
I think if there's another planet out there, we'll eventually find it.
But what if I'm not a planet?
Not a planet?
Whoa, smarty pants.
If Planet X isn't a planet, then what could it be?
We'll explore the answer right after this quick break.
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Now back to Who Smarted?
So, smarty pants, if you're as far out in space as we are, you're going to be pretty hard to find.
From Earth, Planet X would be very very, very faint, with only the most powerful telescopes on the planet able to see it.
And with space being as massive as it is, finding a planet that looks like a faint, tiny speck requires a lot of scientific knowledge, mathematics and a bit of luck.
That is, if I'm a planet at all.
Oh, that's right.
Some say Planet X might not be a planet.
Wait, how can Planet X not be a planet?
Think of it...
Little old me, whom you've all seen, and love is kicked out of the planet club, while some mysterious, unknown object that might not even be a planet gets to be called Planet X.
How is that fair?
Oh, Pluto, Planet X isn't a permanent name.
For decades, astronomers have referred to any unknown planet beyond Neptune as Planet X.
You were once Planet X.
I was?
Yep.
But so far, all the discoveries thought to be Planet X turn out to not be planets at all.
And sadly, that includes you too, Pluto.
Oh, it's not that bad.
And if this Planet X isn't a planet, it won't be called Planet X anymore.
You'll have to find me to find out.
Okay, but if you're not a planet, what might you be?
Smarty Pants, any guesses?
It can't be a star because we'd be able to easily see a bright star.
So what other dark object in space can have the mass of a planet and a strong gravitational pull?
Well, very astute Smarty Pants might remember we did a Who Smarted episode on just such an object.
Did somebody say a black hole?
That's right!
Ding!
And, as you may remember, a black hole has extremely condensed matter.
So one with just ten times the Earth's mass, as Planet X supposedly is, would be very, very small.
Smaller than me?
Oh, much smaller.
Smarty pants, how small would this Planet X be if it's a black hole?
A. The size of the moon.
B. The size of Australia.
Or C. The size of an orange.
The answer, believe it or not, is C, the size of an orange.
Wait, how can we find a planet X in this ginormous universe if it's a dark black hole the size of an orange?
Oh, it'd be nearly impossible.
So, if we want to find it, we better hope it's a planet.
Well, while we're here, let's just ask.
Planet X, are you a planet or a black hole?
Planet X...
Uh, where'd he go?
It looks like the mysterious Planet X has vanished.
Aw, so now what?
Well, the astronomers at Caltech hoping to find Planet X have made their research known so that others might join their search.
Who knows?
Maybe a smarty-pants listening right now will be the one to find the mysterious Planet X.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha.
Oh, and Smarty Pants, if you get the chance, can you please make me a planet again?
Thanks.
An out-of-this-world shout-out to Toby in Montreal, Canada.
Your mom said she gets a nice break while you listen to three or four episodes of Who Smarted in a row.
And I hear you love telling your parents what you learned and that the Scorpions episode is your favorite.
You're my kind of Smarty Pants, buddy.
Thanks.
This episode Planet X was written by Dave Black Hole Beaudry and voiced by Taya Galactic Garland, Chris Ortcloud Okawa and Jerry Colbert.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hubble Hahn.
Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios.
Our associate producer is Max Cosmos Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Singularity Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Darkmatter Davis.
Who Smarted? was created and produced by Adam Tex-Davis and Jerry Colbert.
This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.
