Phaeton's Ghost: The Untold Story of the Missing Planet Between Mars and Jupiter

Was there ever a planet between Mars and Jupiter? The asteroid belt, a cosmic graveyard of rocks, sits in this gap. Some scientists once believed it was the shattered remains of a planet, dubbed "Phaeton," destroyed by a celestial catastrophe.

But here's the twist: the asteroid belt's total mass is only 4% of our Moon's. Even if all the asteroids combined, they wouldn't form a planet. Meteorite analysis also shows these fragments didn't come from a single parent body.

So, what’s the truth? Modern theories suggest the asteroid belt is a collection of planetesimals—baby planets that never fully formed. Jupiter's immense gravity likely prevented their union, leaving behind a cosmic cradle of debris.

The idea of Phaeton lives on in mythology and imagination. Named after the ill-fated son of Helios, it symbolizes humanity's quest to understand the universe—and the stories we weave to fill the gaps.

The asteroid belt isn’t a destroyed planet; it’s a testament to the chaotic beauty of our solar system’s formation. A reminder that not all cosmic mysteries need a dramatic origin story.

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