Is Planet X A Complete Hoax Or A Cover-Up?

[Iam Joy]

If there is a small planet/body heading towards Earth that will impact us and destroy the planet I'm pretty sure that every government on Earth would do everything they could to hide it, suppress it and kill anyone who said they'd bring proof to the public.

 

So if Planet X is actually true, how would we know? Would it be possible for unsponsored independent people with telescopes to see it coming?

 

If it was true then there's nothing we could do anyway; right?

[Turtle]

If there is a small planet/body heading towards Earth that will impact us and destroy the planet I'm pretty sure that every government on Earth would do everything they could to hide it, suppress it and kill anyone who said they'd bring proof to the public.

 

So if Planet X is actually true, how would we know? Would it be possible for unsponsored independent people with telescopes to see it coming?

 

If it was true then there's nothing we could do anyway; right?

 

it's pseudo-scientific hogwash. and yes, amateurs with telescopes would see "it" coming and yes if nobody sees "it" nobody could do anything about "it" and no, governments aren't hiding "it".

 

a person is their own easiest dupe, for what they wish to be true they generally believe to be true. ~demosthenes

 

this article lays out the roots and facts of the story.

 

2012: No planet x

[Moontanman]

If there is a small planet/body heading towards Earth that will impact us and destroy the planet I'm pretty sure that every government on Earth would do everything they could to hide it, suppress it and kill anyone who said they'd bring proof to the public.

 

So if Planet X is actually true, how would we know? Would it be possible for unsponsored independent people with telescopes to see it coming?

 

If it was true then there's nothing we could do anyway; right?

 

 

Amateurs with telescopes are consistently finding very small objects, from comets to asteroids, anything as big as the hypothetical planet X would stand out like a sore thumb and be easily seen...

[Iam Joy]

But what if it was coming directly at us? Would it be possible for an ordinary amateur to recognise that unless they had the right equipment to measure its change of diameter over time; especially if they didn't recognise it on the first night and so didn't keep their telescope trained on the exact same spot?

 

Plus, I remember several years ago a documentary saying that even with all the large telescopes working together we couldn't possibly cover the entire sky and that's why we miss so many near Earth objects until they whizz by. Thus, it seems improbable to me that even with all the amateurs watching the sky each night one of them would definitely be able to detect the approach of a large body until it was obvious to everyone that it was coming - where would they start looking? How would they know which unknown star in the sky was a body heading for us, so that they could watch it and measure its diameter increase?

 

I think most people would like to know, even though nothing could be done; it's still good to know how long we've got left so we can try to fulfil what we want to do before we die.

[Chewbalka]

IamJoy i am a beginner in astronomy i use an app on my ipad which tells me all the stars in the sky as well as i enjoy watching the planets, they are rather bright... Very bright... Its easy to tell with the naked eye which are planets and which are not... If there were a planet x i am certain advanced home astronomers would pick it up in a flash. You should try and get an app yourself and check it out! I find it fun very interesting especially the first time i saw saturn!!! That was cool lol sorry my dorkisums are coming out!

[Moontanman]

But what if it was coming directly at us? Would it be possible for an ordinary amateur to recognise that unless they had the right equipment to measure its change of diameter over time; especially if they didn't recognise it on the first night and so didn't keep their telescope trained on the exact same spot?

 

Plus, I remember several years ago a documentary saying that even with all the large telescopes working together we couldn't possibly cover the entire sky and that's why we miss so many near Earth objects until they whizz by. Thus, it seems improbable to me that even with all the amateurs watching the sky each night one of them would definitely be able to detect the approach of a large body until it was obvious to everyone that it was coming - where would they start looking? How would they know which unknown star in the sky was a body heading for us, so that they could watch it and measure its diameter increase?

 

I think most people would like to know, even though nothing could be done; it's still good to know how long we've got left so we can try to fulfil what we want to do before we die.

 

 

Iamjoy, I know that to people like us with only a passing interest in the sky it seems horribly complex and confusing but in reality it is not. Every star visible to the naked eye has been named and documented. If any of them was out of place or a new one had appeared everyone would know it. A new planet would be visible to the naked eye, it could not hide behind anything nor would it be lost in the profusion of stars we see every night. There is no planet X bearing down on the Earth, it is simply not possible.

[Turtle]

But what if it was coming directly at us? Would it be possible for an ordinary amateur to recognise that unless they had the right equipment to measure its change of diameter over time; especially if they didn't recognise it on the first night and so didn't keep their telescope trained on the exact same spot?

 

a rock in space destined to strike earth is not as if you are watching an incoming aircraft at night, where the headlights get brighter & larger as it approaches you "directly". well, except for a many miles wide rock in the last few hundred miles. :omg: the right equipment to see suspicious change is called a camera. point telescope, take picture; move telescope, take picture; move telescope take picture...etcetera. next night, point to same spot as lst night first picture, take picture, move, take, move take etcetera. compare same-spot to same-spot and look for change. literally thousands of people doing this world-wide every night and all vying to be the one to spot the next new rock.

 

don't let the word "amateur" lull you into the idea that these people don't know what they are doing or that they spare any expense for the best and latest equipment. a professional astronomer is just a person that makes their living from astronomy.

 

Plus, I remember several years ago a documentary saying that even with all the large telescopes working together we couldn't possibly cover the entire sky and that's why we miss so many near Earth objects until they whizz by. Thus, it seems improbable to me that even with all the amateurs watching the sky each night one of them would definitely be able to detect the approach of a large body until it was obvious to everyone that it was coming - where would they start looking? How would they know which unknown star in the sky was a body heading for us, so that they could watch it and measure its diameter increase?

 

I think most people would like to know, even though nothing could be done; it's still good to know how long we've got left so we can try to fulfil what we want to do before we die.

 

most people would like to know how astronomers know where to look and how they know what's going on, or most people would like to know that death is nigh?

 

if the latter, try a poll. if the former, i recommend you -and most people- visit the web site at link below on a daily basis for a while and get a feel for amateurs contributions to astronomy science as well as links, stories, photos, data, & explanatory articles for lay people by professionals and so much other information as to diabuse you of the idea that anybody is hiding something about rocks in space. :moon:

 

>> Spaceweather.com

[Turtle]

i put together a little illustration on the "it's coming right for us!!!" idea. the yellow circle in the center labeled "Sun" is our star, the Sun; ol' Sol. the green circle labled "Earth's Orbit" surrounding Sol is the orbit of our planet, the Earth. remembering 1 time around for earth is a year, the blue circle labled "A" on the green line directly above the Sun is Earth at some point in time. the red lines pointing to earth are "coming right for us" views of objects as seen from earth at that exact time. there could be such lines going straight down on the drawing or coming straight up from under the drawing or from any direction. (note that even though i put red lines between Earth & Sun, any object coming at us from the direction of the Sun, is going to hit the Sun; not us.)

 

the second blue circle, labled B, is Earth about 2 weeks later than at A. now look back from Earth at B toward those "coming right for us" lines at A and see they are no longer "coming right for us". every moving rock in space is moving along a curved line, and we are moving in a curved line, and our view of their moving against the fixed background of stars is a curved line. by keeping careful records of a moving object's position against background stars over a period of time, astronomers can use those coordinates as mathematical variables to define the shape of the curve the object is moving on. they then extend that curve mathematically to determine the future position of the object.

 

the exact same principals are applied in reverse when we send our spacecraft to mars or other rocks in space. (apologies to the gas giants for referring to you as "rocks". :lol:) some things really are rocket science. :smilingsun:

 

ps rest assured that if i have misrepresented any of this, some amateur will be correcting me in short order. ;)

[Eclogite]

Plus, I remember several years ago a documentary saying that even with all the large telescopes working together we couldn't possibly cover the entire sky and that's why we miss so many near Earth objects until they whizz by.

1. Tehcnology has advanced dramtically in the last decade.

2. The NEOs we miss are less than 100m across. A planet is millions of times larger. We wouldn't miss it.

[Iam Joy]

Hi

 

In reply...

 

I guess I have in my mind the brilliant TV docu I watched years ago about Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 and how difficult it was for them to recognise what they had on their slides and to then find it again and track it. I realise this was just comet-sized, but my idea is not that the supposed 'planet X' is massive, but that it is a body like Pluto or smaller (yes I know Pluto is no longer classed as a planet).

 

Something much smaller than our moon would make a hell of an impact on Earth and destroy all life. I'm still not convinced that in the vastness of space someone, unless they were extremely lucky, would spot such an object until it was obvious and left us very little time for our final flings.

 

Yes, I do know that so-called amateurs are very clever with great gear - I've been watching 'Sky at Night' since I was child (if you're not a Brit you won't know what that is, but nevermind).

 

I'm going to need more proof that this is a 100% hoax and that a bloke from his shed in the garden would spot it with his scope - in reality it would be harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

[Turtle]

Hi

 

In reply...

 

I guess I have in my mind the brilliant TV docu I watched years ago about Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 and how difficult it was for them to recognise what they had on their slides and to then find it again and track it. I realise this was just comet-sized, but my idea is not that the supposed 'planet X' is massive, but that it is a body like Pluto or smaller (yes I know Pluto is no longer classed as a planet).

 

Something much smaller than our moon would make a hell of an impact on Earth and destroy all life. I'm still not convinced that in the vastness of space someone, unless they were extremely lucky, would spot such an object until it was obvious and left us very little time for our final flings.

 

Yes, I do know that so-called amateurs are very clever with great gear - I've been watching 'Sky at Night' since I was child (if you're not a Brit you won't know what that is, but nevermind).

 

I'm going to need more proof that this is a 100% hoax and that a bloke from his shed in the garden would spot it with his scope - in reality it would be harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

 

no. no more proof for you. :naughty: your reply demonstrates to me that you don't know what to do with proof when you get it. eat drink & be merry, for tomorrow we die.

[Eclogite]

I realise this was just comet-sized, but my idea is not that the supposed 'planet X' is massive, but that it is a body like Pluto or smaller (yes I know Pluto is no longer classed as a planet).

But do you appreciate the difference in size between a comet and Pluto? Have you considered the implications for comparative ease of detection. We are in danger from a comet, coming in from the Oort cloud and coming at us from the direction of the sun. We might miss that. It is unrealistic to expect us to miss a planet.

 

I'm going to need more proof that this is a 100% hoax

Have you ever considered owning a bridge?

I could do you a very good deal.

[modest]

I'm going to need more proof that this is a 100% hoax

I think you mean a conspiracy theory.

 

~modest