Is new ice giant Planet 9 going to smash into Earth THIS YEAR?

Scientists believe the new world – named somewhat unimaginatively "Planet Nine" – is 10 times the mass of Earth and orbits the Sun every 20,000 years.

But – terrifyingly – the same conspiracy theorists have been warning a massive hidden planet with a very long orbit will crash into Earth in 2016.

Maverick scientists have speculated about the existence of another planet – until now dubbed "Planet X" – since the 19th century.

But the theory fell out of favour and most respected astronomers insisted Neptune was the furthest planet orbiting our Sun – with only dwarf planet Pluto beyond.

Amateur star gazers were dismissed as cranks – or worse – for continuing the search for Planet X.

So when writer Zecharia Sitchin claimed to have to have found a description of a giant planet called Nibiru among the writings of the Babylonians – an ancient civilisation famed as pioneers of astronomy – he was ridiculed as a crackpot.

He claimed Nibiru – which was home to advanced alien race called the Annunaki – orbited the Earth every 3,600 years.

Nibiru believers feel vindicated after scientists from the respected California Institute of Technology announced they have found evidence of the previously hidden Planet Nine beyond Pluto.

(dailystar.co.uk)