Two studies hint—but by no means prove—that the solar system might harbor a 10th planet, far beyond Pluto in a reservoir of comets known as the Oort cloud.

Matese, J.J., P.G. Whitman, and D.P. Whitmire. In press. Cometary evidence of a massive body in the outer Oort cloud. Icarus.

John J. Matese
University of Southwestern Louisiana
Department of Physics
Lafayette, LA 70504-4210
E-mail: matese@usl.edu
Web site: http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~jjm9638/

John B. Murray
Open University
Department of Earth Sciences
Milton Keynes MK7 6AA
England
E-mail: J.B.Murray@open.ac.uk
Web site: http://exodus.open.ac.uk/earth/research/groups/remote_sensing.html

Daniel P. Whitmire
University of Southwestern Louisiana
Department of Physics
Lafayette, LA 70504-4210
E-mail: dpw9254@louisiana.edu
Web site: http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~dpw9254/

From Science News, Vol. 156, No. 19, November 6, 1999, p. 299. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.