The Earth could be inundated by deadly “rogue” comets in just over 1 million years, as a wandering star enters the outer region of the Solar System, according to scientists.
According to Newsweek, scientists believe that a star will stray into our Solar System in just over 1 million years and hurl comets towards us, which could lead to catastrophic consequences for Earth.
Image of comet C/2017 K2 PANSTARRS observed on June 26, 2022 – (Photo: DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE).
Gliese 710 is a small star currently located about 62 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Serpens Cauda.
Scientists have noted that for the past two decades, Gliese 710 has been heading straight towards the Solar System. A 2018 study estimated that in about 1.29 million years, this star will come within just 0.06 light-years of Earth – equivalent to the width of a human hair on a cosmic scale.
At a distance of 0.06 light-years, Gliese 710 will pass through the Oort Cloud (described by NASA as a massive spherical shell surrounding the entire Solar System), disturbing countless comets. Many of these comets could be ejected into deep space, while numerous others may break apart within the Solar System.
Professor Brad Gibson, director of the EA Milne Center for Astrophysics at the University of Hull (UK), told Newsweek: “With the same mass, comets will cause ten times more damage to Earth than an asteroid.”
There has been considerable debate over whether the impact event that wiped out most species on Earth 65 million years ago, including the dinosaurs, was caused by a comet or an asteroid.
Professor Gibson stated: “In just 1 million years, Gliese 710 will actually enter our Solar System and gradually pass through the ‘Oort Cloud’. The impact of this journey will shake loose 10 million comets, which are predicted to fall like rain into the inner Solar System. Among them, millions of comets will fall directly towards Earth.”
He added that currently, thousands of scientists are vigilantly monitoring the skies to detect any asteroids or comets that could pose a threat to Earth.
Alan Fitzsimmons from the Astrophysics Research Center at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, told Newsweek: “Comets have struck Earth in the past and they will do so again in the future. The good news is that modern telescopes are designed to discover both asteroids and comets that may be heading our way, allowing scientists to issue timely warnings.”
