stellar flyby

A Stellar Flyby Jumbled Up the Outer Solar SystemA Stellar Flyby Jumbled Up the Outer Solar System

A Stellar Flyby Jumbled Up the Outer Solar System

An ancient passerby may have visited the Sun and inadvertently helped shape the Solar System into what it is today.…

4 months ago
Where Are All These Rogue Planets Coming From?Where Are All These Rogue Planets Coming From?

Where Are All These Rogue Planets Coming From?

There's a population of planets that drifts through space untethered to any stars. They're called rogue planets or free-floating planets…

9 months ago
What Would Happen to Earth if a Rogue Star Came Too Close?What Would Happen to Earth if a Rogue Star Came Too Close?

What Would Happen to Earth if a Rogue Star Came Too Close?

Stars are gravitationally fastened to their galaxies and move in concert with their surroundings. But sometimes, something breaks the bond.…

1 year ago
Stellar Flybys Leave a Permanent Mark on Newly Forming Planetary SystemsStellar Flybys Leave a Permanent Mark on Newly Forming Planetary Systems

Stellar Flybys Leave a Permanent Mark on Newly Forming Planetary Systems

What do UX Tauri, RW Aurigae, AS 205, Z CMajoris, and FU Orionis have in common? They're young stellar systems…

2 years ago
Astronomers See a Star Crash Through the Planetary Disk of Another StarAstronomers See a Star Crash Through the Planetary Disk of Another Star

Astronomers See a Star Crash Through the Planetary Disk of Another Star

What causes an otherwise unremarkable star to become over 100 times brighter? That's a question astronomers have been pondering since…

3 years ago
In 1.3 Million Years, a Star Will Come Within 24 Light-Days of the SunIn 1.3 Million Years, a Star Will Come Within 24 Light-Days of the Sun

In 1.3 Million Years, a Star Will Come Within 24 Light-Days of the Sun

Using data from the Gaia Observatory, a team of Russian scientists have concluded that a star will make a close…

4 years ago
In the Far Future, Stellar Flybys Will Completely Dismantle the Solar SystemIn the Far Future, Stellar Flybys Will Completely Dismantle the Solar System

In the Far Future, Stellar Flybys Will Completely Dismantle the Solar System

Consumption and disintegration. Next time you want to be the life of the party—if you're hanging out with cool nerds…

4 years ago
At the Heart of the Milky Way, Stars Come Close to Each Other All the TimeAt the Heart of the Milky Way, Stars Come Close to Each Other All the Time

At the Heart of the Milky Way, Stars Come Close to Each Other All the Time

A new study provides new estimates on how often stars near the center of our galaxy experience "close encounters," which…

5 years ago