Research indicates that our solar system's stability may be compromised by the gravity of a passing star, which could alter planetary orbits significantly. The findings suggest there's a five percent chance a star might approach closely enough to destabilize Mercury's orbit, potentially leading to catastrophic collisions with the Sun or Venus. This study emphasizes the importance of considering external cosmic influences rather than viewing the solar system in isolation, revealing that interactions with distant astronomical bodies could drastically affect planetary dynamics over billions of years.
Our simulations indicate that isolated models of the solar system can underestimate the degree of our giant planets' future secular orbital changes by over an order of magnitude.
There's about a five percent chance - over the next five billion years - that a wayward star could come within 100 astronomical units of our solar system.
Should that happen, all eyes should be on Mercury. In the researchers' simulations, Mercury's orbit could become so elliptical that it smacks into either the Sun or Venus.
This work illustrates how our solar system, far from a sequestered island, is in tune with the rest of the universe.
Collection
[
|
...
]