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Back in the 1960s I read a juvenile science fiction novel in which a planet with human like inhabitants entered the solar system. I don't remember the title or author, but it is in the future when Earth has space travel, and strange spaceships are seen. The boy protagonist becomes friends with a boy from the alien planet.

It is possible that the aliens looked like orange skinned humans.

I think I remember a scene where the nose of an Earth Rocket ship was struck by a ray from an alien ship.

Can anyone identify this novel?

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    I have also been looking for quite a few years. Seeing you asking here gave me hope... It was a pretty cool story for a kid back in the 60s. I wonder how it'll hold up for an oldie now. If I find it I'll be sure to let you know. If you find it first please let me know, please?
    – Morgothra
    Mar 17, 2021 at 4:36

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Ok, just killed more time looking and might have found it.

The Mysterious Planet, Kenneth Wright(Lester del Rey), cover Alex Schomburg (1953)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230443.The_Mysterious_Planet

Maybe?

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    This sounds like a good answer, but could you edit in some of the reasons why you think this is it?
    – mwarren
    Mar 17, 2021 at 10:34
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This is The Mysterious Planet by 'Kenneth Wright' aka Lester del Rey. Published in 1952, it was one of the first of the popular Winston juveniles. An unknown planet enters the solar system - 'Planet X' - and soon mysterious black spaceships of advanced design appear near Earth. They refuse to communicate and it looks like an invasion. The teenage son of a space patrolman, along with his buddies, embark on a reckless plan to capture one the black ships but end up being captured themselves. They are shocked to find that the natives of Planet X are humanoids: "His skin was an orange shade, not too different from some jaundiced people, but still unmatchable on Earth." In typical del Rey fashion, the aliens, thanks to the efforts of the teenagers, show that they are friendly.

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The "Lost Planet" series by Angus McVicar? I don't think they were orange though.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Planet-Angus-MacVicar-ebook/dp/B0158VH1OI/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=angus+mcvicar&qid=1589270481&s=books&sr=1-1

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Not too many details to work on but chances are it is "The Wanderer" by Fritz Leiber, published in 1964: the aliens are cat-like though.

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    The Wanderer was not a juvenile. The only thing that matches is "new planet enters solar system", a commen theme.
    – user14111
    May 12, 2020 at 7:54

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