The Digital Press

Researchers conducted a search for distant planets using Pan-STARRS1 data, successfully identifying hundreds of trans-Neptunian objects but no new large planets like Planet Nine. Their method effectively detected a broad range of object distances and motions, refining where Planet Nine might still be hiding.

Why it matters: The search advances understanding of the outer solar system and narrows the possible locations of elusive planets like Planet Nine.

The big picture: This is the third most productive Kuiper Belt survey, discovering many new objects without targeting closer than 80 au.

Stunning stat: Out of 692 detected solar system objects, 109 are newly identified and 23 qualify as dwarf planets.

The stakes: The unexplored parameter space for Planet Nine is now mostly limited to the dense galactic plane region.