Massive dark object 'lurking on edge of solar system hurling comets at Earth'

A massive dark object may be lurking on the edge of our solar system, according to scientists.

Most comets that fly into the inner solar system seem to come from the outer region of the Oort cloud - a region of icy dust and debris left over from the birth of the solar system.

The cloud starts from a point about 93 billion miles from the Sun and stretches for around three light years and contains billions of comets, most of them small and hidden.

Now new calculations suggest a large object that is up to four times as big as Jupiter could be responsible for sending them in our direction.

"Up to four times as big as Jupiter" is pretty big for an unidentified celestial object so close to the solar system. Presumably, they're pointing some more powerful and sensitive instruments in that direction. Particularly since the object appears to be hurling potentially catastrophic objects our way. To read the rest of the article, click here.