OUR planet has been happily orbiting in the Solar System for billions of years but some scientists think this could all change.
The Sun’s gravity currently keeps Earth in its stable orbit but the presence of another large star could change this, according to research.
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Scientists say it’s possible for nearby stars to move in space and come closer to our Solar System.
If this happens, it could change the orbit of Earth.
A large rogue star could start giving Earth a gravitational tug.
That would slowly pull it out of the Solar System, which could be deadly for any life on Earth.
This is the theory a team of scientists describes in an online study titled: “Close stellar encounters kicking planets out of the habitable zone in various stellar environments”.
The scientists write: “Continuous habitability of a planet is a critical condition for advanced forms of life to appear, but it can be endangered by astronomical events such as stellar encounters.”
The team used gravitational simulations to demonstrate how a star could change a planet’s orbit and remove it from a habitable zone.
Earth currently orbits the Sun at just the right distance to support life.
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If we were closer or any further away, life on Earth could change as we know it and humans may not be able to adapt to the conditions.
The good news is scientists don’t think the Earth will be leaving its current orbit anytime soon.
In fact, they only think the Earth has had a 1 in 15,000 chance of this happening over its entire history.
Even if a nearby star does try and pull us away, the process would likely take a very long time.
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