Passing Star's Influence on Earth's Orbit Linked to Ancient Climate Change

Photo byPhoto by Arto Marttinen on Unsplash

New research suggests that a chance encounter between the Solar System and a passing star around 56 million years ago could have disrupted Earth's orbit, potentially leading to significant climate changes. Researchers conducted simulations showing that such an encounter might have nudged Earth off course, contributing to the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), during which Earth's temperature rose by up to 8°C.

The study highlights the importance of understanding Earth's orbital history in investigating ancient climate anomalies. However, modelling the Solar System's orbital evolution is challenging, as it requires accounting for interactions with passing stars. While simulations typically focus on the Solar System in isolation, the researchers demonstrate that passing stars could influence planetary orbits, leading to uncertain predictions of Earth's past orbital behaviour.

The research focused on a specific event 2.8 million years ago when a Sun-like star, HD 7977, passed relatively close to the Solar System. Although it is uncertain if this encounter directly affected Earth's climate, the study suggests that such events could have played a role in Earth's long-term orbital evolution.

Although HD 7977 is the only known flyby, estimates suggest that stars pass near the Solar System periodically. These encounters, occurring every million years or so, may have influenced Earth's climate in the past and could be significant factors in understanding long-term Solar System dynamics.

The study underscores the need for future research to consider the impact of passing stars on the Solar System's evolution. Understanding these interactions is crucial for comprehending Earth's climate history and its relation to astronomical phenomena.