Will planet Nibiru crash into Earth? A scientist explains

What evidence is there for the existence of the planet Nibiru? Well, every so often rumours circulate on the internet about the reappearance of a 'wandering planet' called Niburu.

Also known as Planet Nine or Planet X, Nibiru is supposedly mentioned on ancient Sumerian clay tablets and is said to have crashed through the early Solar System creating the asteroid belt and the Earth before vanishing again.

It's true that beyond the Solar System lurk failed stars known as brown dwarfs that are barely bigger than the planet Jupiter. However, the chances of a disastrous encounter with one are mercifully small.

This article was first published 21 August 2018. It was reviewed by Thomas Ling on 12 July 2023.

Read more:

• Could there be materials on other planets that we don't have on Earth?
• How would our Solar System be different if Jupiter had been big enough to be a star?
• Could two planets share the same orbit without colliding?