Planet X is a conspiracy theory which most people won’t even begin to entertain, mostly because it makes no sense.
Or that’s at least what we thought – but scientists at NASA have finally announced there may indeed be a planet on the edge of our solar system.
Planet X – or Nibiru – is thought to be a massive planet in the furthest corners of our solar system, which is heading right for us.
If the conspiracy theorists are to be believed, the planet is going to either crash straight into us and obliterate us all, or it’s going to graze past us.
Apparently, this won’t mean we escape death and destruction, however. On the contrary, the collision of our planet with Nibiru is going to result in Earth being thrown off its axis.
This would undoubtedly have disastrous consequences, in the unlikely event it even happens.
But one thing which is surprisingly likely is the existence of a mysterious planet in the furthest reaches of our solar system.
Its effect on our solar system is quite large – it has tilted the whole solar system and is responsible for affecting the orbits of some of the other planets.
But this obviously doesn’t mean the planet is Nibiru, nor does it mean any of the conspiracy theorists are correct in their claims the world is about to end – even though they said it would end on September 23 and again on October 15.
One of the major proponents of the Planet X conspiracy theory is David Meade, a Christian conspiracy theorist who claims the planet will usher in seven years of nuclear war and natural disasters.
Despite these things not being very likely, there is quite a good chance a planet does exist.
Konstantin Batygin, a planetary astrophysicist at Caltech said in a NASA statement:
There are now five different lines of observational evidence pointing to the existence of Planet Nine.
If you were to remove this explanation and imagine Planet Nine does not exist, then you generate more problems than you solve. All of a sudden, you have five different puzzles, and you must come up with five different theories to explain them.
Professor Batygin and his team could actually be on the cusp of officially discovering this planet, after indirectly observing evidence of its effects for some time.
Scientists even think the planet could be responsible for the eventual destruction of the solar system – but that won’t be coming next week.
Conspiracy theories are everywhere, and they range from the mundane to the massive – but in reality, they can be quiet dangerous.
UNILAD spoke with Dr Dan Jolley about how conspiracy theories can be damaging for society.
He said:
The world is complex, and complex things happen, and conspiracy theories make us feel better.
For example, when a plane goes missing or a princess dies in a car crash we don’t feel great.
A conspiracy theory makes us feel in control, laying blame in situations that sometimes can’t be controlled.
Dr Jolley has been exploring this field for the past five years, and has already noticed a shift in the conventional wisdom about them.
While they were once considered harmless, it is quickly becoming apparent that the negative effects of conspiracy theories can actually be quite pronounced, he explains.
So don’t believe the hype about Nibiru, but keep an eye on Planet X in the sky.
