Tag

Stellar Encounter

All articles tagged with #stellar encounter

"Earth's Orbit Altered by Passing Star, Scientists Find"
astronomy1 year ago

"Earth's Orbit Altered by Passing Star, Scientists Find"

A recent study suggests that a passing star, HD-7977, which came within 31,000 astronomical units of the Sun nearly 3 million years ago, may have altered Earth's orbit. Researchers argue that such "stellar encounters" could have a significant impact on Earth's orbital and environmental evolution, potentially influencing climate fluctuations. These findings add uncertainty to understanding Earth's geological record and could have implications for explaining past climate anomalies, such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum.

Surviving a Passing Star: The Solar System's Odds
space2 years ago

Surviving a Passing Star: The Solar System's Odds

The odds of a passing star causing devastation in our solar system are relatively low, with a 95% chance of no planets being lost. However, in the remaining 5% of scenarios, there is a possibility of collisions and catastrophic effects. Mercury is most likely to collide with the Sun, followed by Mars colliding with the Sun or Venus colliding with another planet. Earth could potentially be pushed into a collision course with another planet or even the Sun. While there is a small chance of Earth being thrown into a wider orbit, prolonging its habitability, the overall likelihood of such a cataclysmic scenario remains very small.