The Earth could be soon flung out of orbit or into the sun all thanks to a passing star

Could a passing star be on a collision course with our solar system and, eventually, Earth?
It's difficult to know if such an outcome is likely. Recently, researchers have found the Milky Way likely won't crash into its neighboring galaxy any time soon. Our blue marble is already slated to be eaten by our sun in several billion years, after it turns into a red giant and expands.
But researchers said in a recent study published in the journal Icarus that thousands of computer simulations indicate there's a chance a passing field star – a star that appears in the same region of the sky as another object being studied – could cause more havoc than previously believed.
'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. In addition, our planets and Pluto are significantly less stable than previously thought,' Nathan Kaib and Sean Raymond, a pair of astronomers, wrote in May. Kaib is from Iowa's Planetary Science Institute and Raymond is from France's University of Bourdeaux.
The study's authors say passing stars are the most probable trigger for instability during the course of the next four billion years.
The gravitational tug could cause instability to completely stable objects, including Pluto: formerly the ninth planet of our solar system. Over the course of five billion years, stars could transform Pluto from a completely stable object to one with a chaotic set of gravitational interactions that sets it off its orbit. While the odds of those changes occurring in that time frame from Pluto are approximately five percent, they are exponentially greater for Mercury.
The risk of instability for the solar system's fifth planet would increase by between around 50 and 80 percent.
'We also find an approximately 0.3 percent chance that Mars will be lost through collision or ejection and an approximately 0.2 percent probability that Earth will be involved in a planetary collision or ejected,' they wrote.
Kaib previously published work that suggested Earth's orbit was altered by a passing star three million years ago.
'We looked at the typical, run-of-the-mill flybys,' Raymond told New Scientist. 'These are the stars that really do pass by the sun all the time, cosmically speaking.'
Still, these simulations aside, Kaib told Science News that 'none of these things are probable.'
Although, the outlet notes, a 0.2 percent chance of collision with the Earth is much greater than previous research has found.
'It's a little scary how vulnerable we may be to planetary chaos,' Renu Malhotra, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona who was not involved with the study, told Science News.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Reuters

12 hours ago

• Reuters

Dassault Aviation gets French government support for its VORTEX spaceplane demonstrator

PARIS, June 20 (Reuters) - Dassault Aviation ( opens new tab and the French government signed on Friday an agreement whereby France's armed forces ministry would support the development of Dassault Aviation's VORTEX spaceplane demonstrator. The agreement was signed at the Paris Airshow between French armed forces minister Sebastien Lecornu and Dassault Aviation CEO and Chairman Eric Trappier. The government support for the Dassault Aviation VORTEX project comes as President Emmanuel Macron on Friday threw France's backing behind plans for a European satellite manufacturing champion. At the Paris Airshow, Macron also called for accelerated deployment of Starlink-type satellites as he declared space the new theatre for world power competition. "At the crossroads of aviation and space technologies, the VORTEX will undoubtedly pave the way for a new generation of space aeronautics, consolidating France's strategic position as a leading space power," said Eric Trappier in a statement.

Daily Mail​

14 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Scientists issue urgent warning over drinking bottled BEER – as they discover a single glass bottle contains 50 times more dangerous microplastics than a plastic bottle

With temperatures set to hit 32°C in parts of the UK this weekend, many Brits will be looking forward to cracking open a cold beer in the sunshine. But a new study might make you think twice before reaching for your favourite bottle. Scientists fom the French food safety agency, ANSES, have discovered that drinks sold in glass bottles - including water, beer, and wine - contain more microplastics than those in plastic bottles. Initially, the researchers were baffled with this finding. However, they soon worked out that the microplastic particles were getting into the drinks through the paint on the outside of the bottles. 'We expected the opposite result,' Iseline Chaib, who conducted the research, told AFP. 'We then noticed that in the glass, the particles emerging from the samples were the same shape, color and polymer composition—so therefore the same plastic—as the paint on the outside of the caps that seal the glass bottles.' Worryingly, the long-term effects of these microplastics on human health remain unclear. Initially, the researchers were baffled with this finding. However, they soon worked out that the microplastic particles were getting into the drinks through the paint on the outside of the bottles. For the study, the team set out to evaluate the levels of microplastics in various popular drinks sold in France. Their analysis revealed an average of around 100 microplastic particles per litre in glass bottles of soft drinks, lemonade, iced tea, and beer. That was between five and 50 times higher than the rate detected in plastic bottles or metal cans. The researchers inspected the glass bottles, and discovered small scratches on the caps, likely created due to friction between the caps when they were stored. For water, both flat and sparkling, the amount of microplastic was relatively low in all cases, ranging from 4.5 particles per liter in glass bottles to 1.6 particles in plastic. Wine drinkers will also be relieved to hear that wine contained few microplastics — even glass bottles with caps. Soft drinks however contained around 30 microplastics per liter, while lemonade had 40 microplastics per liter. Beer was the worst offender, with a whopping 60 microplastics per liter. As it stands, the researchers do not know whether these microplastics represent a health risk. However, researchers are increasingly concerned about the capacity of such particles to be internalised within cells causing alterations in cellular function, particularly when interacting with organs in children and causing definitive alterations in adult life. There is a growing body of evidence that plastics could play a key role in early-onset cancer genesis, where healthy cells turn cancerous. Last year, a study found cancer cells in the gut spread at an accelerated rate after contact with microplastics. Experts have also raised the alarm about a potential between microplastics and reproductive health. Scientists warned in June that they found tiny plastic particles in men's sperm. Thankfully, the researchers say that drink manufacturers could easily reduce the amount of microplastics shed by bottle caps. As part of the study, the team tested a cleaning method involving blowing the caps with air, then rinsing them with water and alcohol. This was found to reduce microplastic contamination by 60 per cent. WHAT CAN MICROPLASTICS DO TO THE HUMAN BODY IF THEY END UP IN OUR FOOD SUPPLY? According to an article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, our understanding of the potential human health effects from exposure to microplastics 'constitutes major knowledge gaps.' Humans can be exposed to plastic particles via consumption of seafood and terrestrial food products, drinking water and via the air. However, the level of human exposure, chronic toxic effect concentrations and underlying mechanisms by which microplastics elicit effects are still not well understood enough in order to make a full assessment of the risks to humans. According to Rachel Adams, a senior lecturer in Biomedical Science at Cardiff Metropolitan University, ingesting microplastics could cause a number of potentially harmful effects, such as: Inflammation: when inflammation occurs, the body's white blood cells and the substances they produce protect us from infection. This normally protective immune system can cause damage to tissues. An immune response to anything recognised as 'foreign' to the body: immune responses such as these can cause damage to the body. Becoming carriers for other toxins that enter the body: microplastics generally repel water and will bind to toxins that don't dissolve, so microplastics can bind to compounds containing toxic metals such as mercury, and organic pollutants such as some pesticides and chemicals called dioxins, which are known to causes cancer, as well as reproductive and developmental problems. If these microplastics enter the body, toxins can accumulate in fatty tissues.

The Sun

a day ago

• The Sun

Elio film review: Pixar's latest adventure is nourishing slice of intergalactic fun with nods to Hollywood classic

ELIO PG (98mins) ★★★☆☆ 2 SPACE and sentimentality are the linchpins of Disney and Pixar's latest animated adventure which encourages you to dream big. Sci-fi obsessed Elio Solis (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) is a cape-wearing cosmic obsessive adopted by his Aunt Olga after his parents pass away. When extraterrestrials make contact, Elio doesn't hesitate to respond, and before you can say 'Martian' he's beamed up to a kind of cosmic UN Committee from various galaxies, including Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana). They believe he's the leader back on Earth and Elio doesn't correct them. He's soon tasked with negotiating an alien peace treaty with baddie Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), but this quickly turns into a journey of self-discovery as, along with new wiggly best friend Glordon (a cutesy Remy Edgerly), our hero realises what really matters to him. Reminding us that there's no place like home, there's many Wizard Of Oz homages here, as we transport through solar systems and scary villains. Intergalactic, nourishing, family fun. ★★★☆☆ 2 THIS warm, funny and often deeply moving documentary charts Swedish TV presenter Filip Hammar's attempt to bring his 80-year-old father Lars back to life – figuratively, at least. Since retiring from his job as a French teacher, Lars has become increasingly withdrawn and frail. So, Filip decides to buy a battered old Renault 4, and whisks his dad off on a nostalgic road trip to the south of France, hoping to reignite a spark. They're joined by Filip's longtime TV partner Fredrik Wikingsson, and the pair's banter keeps the film fun, even as emotional undercurrents start to appear. The journey is nearly derailed early on by a nasty fall, and though Lars is slow to warm up, glimpses of his old self soon begin to reappear, particularly when surrounded by the culture and language he has loved for so many years. At times, the film veers close to manipulation. But what shines through is Filip's deep affection for his father, and a quietly powerful message about ageing, legacy and the bonds between parent and child. It's a bit uneven, but The Last Journey has heart to spare – and plenty of charm.