NINTH planet may exist in our solar system – and it’s 10 times bigger than Earth

It is also orbiting far beyond Neptune, according to research carried out by scientists at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Astronomer Mike Brown said: "It's a pretty substantial chunk of our solar system that's still out there to be found, which is pretty exciting.

"This would be a real ninth planet. 

"There have only been two true planets discovered since ancient times, and this would be a third. It's a pretty substancial chunk of our solar system that's still out there to be found, which is pretty exciting.

Konstantin Batygin, assistant professor of planetary science at the university, said: "Although we were initially quite skeptical that this planet could exist, as we continued to investigate its orbit and what it would mean for the outer solar system, we became increasingly convinced that it is out there."

The research was published in this week’s Astronomical Journal.

Experts believe the new discovery would take between 10,000 and 20,000 years to orbit the sun.

Research started in 2014 as scientists investigated 13 objects in the Kuiper Belt – an area of the solar system inhabited by comets.

Dwarf planet Pluto, which was downgraded from a full planet in 2006, sits in this region.

It comes just days after Daily Star Online reported how conspiracy theorists believe another Earth-like planet exists just the other side of the sun.

They believe Planet X will never be seen as it is locked in exactly the same orbit as us.

(dailystar.co.uk)