Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
Mike Brown Lecture on Finding Planet Nine and his Journey to Redefine the Solar System
Apr 28, 2025
Mike Brown, an accomplished astronomer and professor at Caltech, shakes up the astronomy world with his bold discoveries, including dwarf planets. He dives into the dramatic redefinition of what a planet is, sharing why Pluto was demoted. Brown also shares fascinating insights into the ongoing search for the elusive Planet Nine, speculating on its potential existence in our solar system. You won't want to miss his engaging historical anecdotes that chronicle the quest for new planets, intertwining science with personal passion.
17:20
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Quick takeaways
- The historical context of planet discoveries illustrates the evolution of the solar system's understanding and the scientific pursuit of unseen planets.
- Examining celestial mechanics reveals how precise calculations and gravitational influences have shaped predictions and discoveries in astronomy.
Deep dives
The Quest for New Planets
The discussion centers on the historical context of discovering new planets and the evolution of our understanding of the solar system from 1780 to present. In 1780, the visible planets were Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, with no speculation on discovering new planets beyond Saturn. It highlights how this changed with the discovery of Uranus, which was a pivotal moment in astronomy, sparked by William Herschel's careful observation using advanced telescopes of the time. This observation transformed perceptions of the solar system and led to the realization that unseen planets could exist, marking the beginning of an era where the search for new celestial bodies became a scientific pursuit rather than mere speculation.
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