10 hours ago
Passing star could send Earth into the sun
A new study published in the journal Icarus suggests that passing field stars could cause more instability in our solar system than previously believed.
Astronomers Nathan Kaib and Sean Raymond found that isolated models underestimate future orbital changes of giant planets, indicating that planets and Pluto are less stable than thought.
The study identifies passing stars as the most probable trigger for instability within the solar system over the next four billion years.
The gravitational tug from these stars could significantly increase the risk of instability for Mercury by 50-80%, and there is a 5% chance of chaotic gravitational interactions for Pluto over five billion years.
The research also indicates an approximately 0.3% chance of Mars being lost through collision or ejection, and a 0.2% probability of Earth being involved in a planetary collision or ejected, a higher figure than previous findings.
