A recent study published in the journal Icarus suggests that a passing star could cause more havoc than previously believed when it comes to the stability of our solar system. Researchers found that thousands of computer simulations indicate there is a chance that a field star, which appears in the same region of the sky as another object being studied, could lead to instability.
According to the study’s authors, isolated models of the solar system can underestimate the degree of future secular orbital changes by over an order of magnitude. This means that even stable objects like Pluto may be more unstable than previously thought. The gravitational tug from a passing star could cause this instability, potentially transforming Pluto into a chaotic object with unpredictable gravitational interactions.
The risk of instability for Mercury would increase by 50-80 percent, while the chances of Mars being lost through collision or ejection are approximately 0.3 and 0.2 percent respectively. However, the study also found that Earth’s orbit is more vulnerable to planetary chaos, with a 0.2 percent chance of collision.
While the odds of these changes occurring in the next four billion years may seem low, researchers emphasize that it’s still worth considering the possibility. As one researcher noted, “It’s a little scary how vulnerable we may be to planetary chaos.”
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/space/earth-sun-orbit-passing-star-b2772878.html