© 1988 Dick Bain
© 1988 ANZURA, Australia & New Zealand Urantia Association
On UB 57:5.9 of The URANTIA Book, we are informed that five inner planets, Jupiter, Saturn, and five outer planets formed the material drawn out from our sun by the passing Angona system. This adds up to 12 planets, but we are only taught about nine in school. Where are the other three?
One of the missing planets is easy to account for. On UB 57:6.5 we read that the fifth planet from the sun was pulled apart when it passed too close to Jupiter. The debris from this planet forms the present astroid belt that lies between Mars and Jupiter. This leaves two planets unaccounted for.
Within the past several years, astronomers studying Pluto and its companion Charon have decided that Charon may not be a satellite of Pluto; this system may be two planets orbiting about a common point. If this is true, then only one planet is left unaccounted for…
To understand how the 12th planet may be found, it is desirable to look at how several other planets were discovered. As astronomers studied the orbit of Uranus around the sun, they noted perturbations in its orbit. From this fact, the existence of another planet was predicted. In 1846, the planet responsible for these perturbations was discovered and named Neptune. Similarly, the orbit of Neptune was found to be perturbed. This triggered the search for the so-called planet X. The search for this turned up Pluto in 1930. Study of Pluto has however revealed that it is much too small to be Planet X. Some astronomers feel that there is something out there causing the perturbations, but have been unable to find it.
An article in the 1988 issue of ASTRONOMY entitled “The Pull of Planet X” discusses the possibility of another planet beyond the orbit of Jupiter. The Planet X hypothesis is not accepted by all astronomers, but most agree that something is disturbing the orbit of Neptune, and possibly Uranus as well. It could be the 12th planet, or it could be one of the massive dark islands of space referred to by The URANTIA Book. It could even be both of these possibilities. If that is the case, the astronomers ought to have a great time trying to sort it all out. The astronomers are diligently seeking the 12th planet; perhaps we will soon be able to put it on our astronomical charts.
Dick Bain, St. Petersburg, FL. U.S.A.