- 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.
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