Hypothetical Planet Day - March 26
On this date in 1859 it was believed that a planet was spotted inside the orbit of Mercury by Edmond Modeste Lescarbault , an amateur astronomer. This "observation" was taken seriously by scientists like Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier , who had a theory explaining eccentricities of Mercury's orbit that required just such a planet. These eccentricities were later explained by Einstein's theory of relativity , which also ruled out any planet inside Mercury's orbit. This alleged planet was given the name Vulcan , which made a certain amount of sense since a planet that close to the sun would no doubt be pretty toasty. As we've explored the solar system, other planets destroyed ( Phaeton ) or beyond Neptune have also been hypothesized. Today is a day to recognize that while striving to understand our universe we sometimes make mistakes. By Lith. of E. Jones & G.W. Newman - Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3180.ct003790, CC0, https://com...