Solar System’s Fate: Scientists Explore the Impact of Passing Stars on Earth’s Stability

Scientists are investigating the potential for dramatic shifts in the solar system’s configuration, potentially jeopardizing Earth’s position due to the gravitational influence of passing stars. This research, documented in the journal Icarus, focuses on how these ‘field stars’ might disrupt the solar system, possibly leading to planets being ejected or even pulled into the Sun. Researchers used extensive computer simulations to assess how the solar system might change over billions of years. The scientists found that a star similar in size to our Sun, if passing within a specific range (10,000 AU), could severely disrupt the Oort Cloud, the solar system’s outermost region. The study emphasizes that the stability of planets, including Pluto, is more precarious than previously thought. The study suggests that the transient star’s influence could raise the instability of Mercury’s orbit by a considerable percentage, creating the potential for Earth to collide with Venus or Mars, or even be ejected from the solar system.