Space & Astronomy

Earth could one day be flung out of the solar system, scientists claim

By T.K. Randall
May 31, 2025 ·  5 comments

Passing stars can be potentially hazardous. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0 Pablo Carlos Budassi We've heard of several 'end of the world' scenarios in recent years, but perhaps the most chilling are those that we can do very little about - namely those involving threats from outer space.

While there is a chance that we will soon be able to deflect an incoming apocalyptic asteroid, the threat posed by another star venturing too close to our solar system is a different matter entirely.

According to new computer simulations, under certain circumstances, the gravitational tug of a passing star can potentially destabilize the orbits of the planets enough for some of them to be literally flung out of the solar system into the coldness of deep space.

In one scenario, Mercury becomes unstable and crashes into Venus or Mars, which in turn crashes into the Earth, sending it spiraling into the Sun.

In another, the Earth is instead pushed toward Jupiter where the gas giant's immense gravity essentially flings our planet out of the solar system entirely.The same fate could also befall other planets in our solar system such as Pluto.

On the plus side, however, the chances of this happening are very small.

The odds of this happening to the Earth within the next 5 billion years are a mere 0.2 percent.

The odds that it will happen to Pluto are significantly higher - around 4 percent.

Given that no star will pass close to our solar system for another 1.3 million years, however, this isn't something that anyone alive today needs to be worrying about.

Source: Science News | Comments (5)

Tags: Earth