This scientific article from Nature Astronomy explores the origins of the outer Solar System’s unusual orbital dynamics, particularly focusing on the perplexing orbits of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). The authors propose that a close encounter with another star, termed a “stellar flyby,” drastically altered the orbits of these distant objects. They use extensive computer simulations to model this flyby scenario, finding that a star with 80% the Sun’s mass passing at a distance of 110 astronomical units (AU) with a specific inclination and angle of periastron, provides a near-perfect match to the observed characteristics of TNOs. This flyby model not only accounts for the known TNO populations, including the “cold” Kuiper belt objects and Sedna-like objects, but also surprisingly explains the existence of retrograde TNOs, a phenomenon previously challenging to explain. The authors conclude that this stellar flyby hypothesis offers a simple yet powerful explanation for the complex orbital dynamics of the outer Solar System, providing testable predictions for future observations by telescopes like the Vera Rubin Observatory.
Basically a compendium of my thoughts, things that interest/infuriate me, and my thoughts about things that interest/infuriate me. :)
