Resurrection of a venerable SF trope - Planet 4.5

[Cryptoengineer]

Ever since Bode's Law was formulated in the 18th century, and
especially after the discovery of Ceres in 1801, there has been
speculation about an unknown planet between Mars and Jupiter.

When the extent of the asteroid belt was found, this extended to
the idea that the asteroids were the remnants of an earlier planet
that was somehow destroyed.

A number of SF stories used this trope - up to and including, iirc,
'2001'.

Later science would settle on the notion that the asteroids were
never a planet, they were left over unconsolidated material from
the formation of the solar system.

In the last year, we finally got back some pristine sample of
asteroid material, from Bennu.

Very recently some early research results were published. To
everyone's surprise, the minerals found included serpentine.
a mineral which forms underwater.

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/osiris-rex/surprising-phosphate-finding-in-nasas-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample/

This suggests that Bennu was once part of a planet, big
enough to support liquid water. Not neccesarily on the surface,
but perhaps as a ice-over ocean, similar the Jovian moons.

So, there really *was* a planet 4.5, between Mars and Jupiter.

An old tool in the SF authors toolbox can be used again.

pt

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

Post by Cryptoengineer
Ever since Bode's Law was formulated in the 18th century, and
especially after the discovery of Ceres in 1801, there has been
speculation about an unknown planet between Mars and Jupiter.
When the extent of the asteroid belt was found, this extended to
the idea that the asteroids were the remnants of an earlier planet
that was somehow destroyed.
A number of SF stories used this trope - up to and including, iirc,
'2001'.
Later science would settle on the notion that the asteroids were
never a planet, they were left over unconsolidated material from
the formation of the solar system.
In the last year, we finally got back some pristine sample of
asteroid material, from Bennu.
Very recently some early research results were published. To
everyone's surprise, the minerals found included serpentine.
a mineral which forms underwater.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/osiris-rex/surprising-phosphate-finding-in-nasas-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample/
This suggests that Bennu was once part of a planet, big
enough to support liquid water. Not neccesarily on the surface,
but perhaps as a ice-over ocean, similar the Jovian moons.
So, there really *was* a planet 4.5, between Mars and Jupiter.
An old tool in the SF authors toolbox can be used again.
pt

It's not that old. Hogan used it. Crap that was 1977. Ok, it's old.

[Christian Weisgerber]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>

Post by Cryptoengineer
So, there really *was* a planet 4.5, between Mars and Jupiter.
An old tool in the SF authors toolbox can be used again.

It's not that old. Hogan used it. Crap that was 1977. Ok, it's old.

_Perry Rhodan_ used it before that (#265, 1966).

Edmond Hamilton used it even earlier in the Captain Future story
_The Lost World of Time_ (1941).

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

Post by Christian Weisgerber

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>

Post by Cryptoengineer
So, there really *was* a planet 4.5, between Mars and Jupiter.
An old tool in the SF authors toolbox can be used again.

It's not that old. Hogan used it. Crap that was 1977. Ok, it's old.

_Perry Rhodan_ used it before that (#265, 1966).
Edmond Hamilton used it even earlier in the Captain Future story
_The Lost World of Time_ (1941).

Oh sure, I'm aware of lots of "older" uses, but in my mind Hogan is
a recent author.

[Scott Dorsey]

It was a young child, just like you, playing with matches. They lit something
off and the whole planet exploded. So just let that be a lesson to you!
--scott

[David Duffy]

Post by Scott Dorsey
It was a young child, just like you, playing with matches. They lit something
off and the whole planet exploded. So just let that be a lesson to you!
--scott

He didn't know it was antimatter until it was too late.

[Bobbie Sellers]

Post by Cryptoengineer
Ever since Bode's Law was formulated in the 18th century, and
especially after the discovery of Ceres in 1801, there has been
speculation about an unknown planet between Mars and Jupiter.
When the extent of the asteroid belt was found, this extended to
the idea that the asteroids were the remnants of an earlier planet
that was somehow destroyed.
A number of SF stories used this trope - up to and including, iirc,
'2001'.
Later science would settle on the notion that the asteroids were
never a planet, they were left over unconsolidated material from
the formation of the solar system.
In the last year, we finally got back some pristine sample of
asteroid material, from Bennu.
Very recently some early research results were published. To
everyone's surprise, the  minerals found included serpentine.
a mineral which forms underwater.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/osiris-rex/surprising-phosphate-finding-in-nasas-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample/
This suggests that Bennu was once part of a planet, big
enough to support liquid water. Not neccesarily on the surface,
but perhaps as a ice-over ocean, similar the Jovian moons.
So, there really *was* a planet 4.5, between Mars and Jupiter.
An old tool in the SF authors toolbox can be used again.
pt

The planet that the asteroid and indeed the rest of the
Solar System are composed of were quite likely other
star systems destroyed by more or less natural processes, since
the beginning of the Universe some 13.4 billion years ago. Maybe
we are nth generation of star system formation. Remember it has
recently been formulated that all the gold on Earth now was
produced in the throes of super novae.
So it is with all the matter of the Universe being
recycled into new arrangements at least within Local Groups.

bliss

[Robert Carnegie]

Post by Cryptoengineer
Ever since Bode's Law was formulated in the 18th century, and
especially after the discovery of Ceres in 1801, there has been
speculation about an unknown planet between Mars and Jupiter.
When the extent of the asteroid belt was found, this extended to
the idea that the asteroids were the remnants of an earlier planet
that was somehow destroyed.
A number of SF stories used this trope - up to and including, iirc,
'2001'.
Later science would settle on the notion that the asteroids were
never a planet, they were left over unconsolidated material from
the formation of the solar system.
In the last year, we finally got back some pristine sample of
asteroid material, from Bennu.
Very recently some early research results were published. To
everyone's surprise, the  minerals found included serpentine.
a mineral which forms underwater.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/osiris-rex/surprising-phosphate-finding-in-nasas-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample/
This suggests that Bennu was once part of a planet, big
enough to support liquid water. Not neccesarily on the surface,
but perhaps as a ice-over ocean, similar the Jovian moons.
So, there really *was* a planet 4.5, between Mars and Jupiter.
An old tool in the SF authors toolbox can be used again.
pt

    The planet that the asteroid and indeed the rest of the
Solar System  are composed of were quite likely other
star systems destroyed by more or less natural processes, since
the beginning of the Universe some 13.4 billion years ago. Maybe
we are nth generation of star system formation. Remember it has
recently been formulated that all the gold on Earth now was
produced in the throes of super novae.
    So it is with all the matter of the Universe being
recycled into new arrangements at least within Local Groups.

Blowing up planets is really tricky /except/ in
science fiction. You could drop a planet in
the Sun and then blow the Sun up...

This reference to demised "fifth planet"
"Phaëton" (sic) may not work. But here goes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictional_planets_of_the_Solar_System#Phaëton