Feb 18, 2017 07:58 AM EST By Eleanor Bright, UniversityHerald Reporter

NASA recently announced that it needed the help of the public in finding the missing planet of the Solar System. It was believed that the Solar System has nine planets but after Pluto was discovered to be a dwarf planet, astronomers began the hunt for the ninth planet.

With Pluto declared a dwarf planet, there grew a belief that there were really nine planets. Astronomers believed that there were really nine planets and the ninth is just waiting to be discovered. To make the search easier, astronomers gave a location. The supposedly missing planet may be found 20 light years away between the planet Neptune and the star closest to it, the Proxima Centauri, according to The Marshall Town.

One light year is equal to 5.8 trillion miles. One can just imagine looking for a planet within 116 trillion miles. But with billions of people looking for the ninth planet, also called Planet X, there might a chance of finding it within this century.

The discoverer of this planet will share credit with astronomers of NASA. Anyone can apply to join the Planet X hunters. There were no qualification standards to meet. The search for the planet can be done at home.

Those interested to join can log in to Backyard Worlds: Planet 9. This was a website created for the missing planet hunt. The website featured footage of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer or WISE. Astronomers believed that by studying the footage closely, someone might be able to identify Planet X. Computers were confused when presented with so many objects moving in space but humans could disregard others that had characteristics dissimilar to planets, according to USA Today.

The dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in a similar way. Astronomers believed that there is a bigger chance for humans rather than computers to find the missing planet.

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