Scientist on trail of mysterious 'Planet X'
Takashi Hagihara / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
 OSAKA--Tadashi Mukai, a professor at Kobe University, found himself in the spotlight after he announced that his calculations strongly suggested the existence of Planet X--a hypothetical planet that some scientists believe orbits the sun in the far reaches of the solar system on a 1,000-year cycle.
If the planet is actually discovered, the 62-year-old scholar will be the first Japanese to make an imprint on the history of planetary discovery.
Mukai's study was the fruit of planetary science that he taught to Brazilian researcher Patryk S. Lykawka, 31.
Lykawka asked Mukai seven years ago if he could work under Mukai's supervision. In response, Mukai taught him virtually everything he knew about planetary science, and came up with a project that would make the most of Lykawka's forte--advanced computation.
"I had been skeptical about the existence of Planet X until a year ago, but our computational accuracy has increased through a process of trial and error, and I've come to believe that it exists," he said.
Surprisingly, Mukai and Lykawka used ordinary personal computers in their project, linking about 40 such computers across the Kobe campus to get their remarkable results.
As a boy, Mukai never even looked into a telescope. At Kyoto University, he studied the theory of particles, going on to study space dust and take part in programs exploring Mars and asteroids.
But even if the existence of Planet X is eventually confirmed, there is no guarantee that it will be classified as a planet due to its highly eccentric orbit.
Its discovery would likely revive the controversy that erupted in astronomical circles after Pluto was declared not to be a planet in the summer of 2006.
"I'm looking forward to causing a storm, as that would really draw people's attention to planetary science again," Mukai said.
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