This solar system montage of the nine planets and four large moons of Jupiter in our solar system are set against a false-color view of the Rosette Nebula. The light emitted from the Rosette Nebula results from the presence of hydrogen (red), oxygen (green), and sulfur (blue). Most of the planetary images in this montage were obtained by NASA’s planetary missions, which have dramatically changed our understanding of the solar system in the past 30 years. Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU
Experiment demonstrates our solar system’s fragility.
A terrestrial planet hovering between Mars and Jupiter would be able to push Earth out of the solar system and wipe out life on this planet, according to a University of California, Riverside (UCR) experiment.
UCR astrophysicist Stephen Kane explained that his experiment was meant to address two notable gaps in planetary science.
The first is the gap in our solar system between the size of terrestrial and giant gas planets. The largest terrestrial planet is Earth, and the smallest gas giant is Neptune, which is four times wider and 17 times more massive than Earth. There is nothing in between.
This illustration shows the approximate sizes of the planets in our Solar System relative to each other. Outward from the Sun, the planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, followed by the dwarf planet Pluto. Jupiter’s diameter is about 11 times that of the Earth’s and the Sun’s diameter is about 10 times Jupiter’s. Pluto’s diameter is slightly less than one-fifth of Earth’s. The planets are not shown at the appropriate distance from the Sun. Credit: NASA/Lunar and Planetary Institute
“In other star systems, there are many planets with masses in that gap. We call them super-Earths,” Kane said.
The other gap is in location, relative to the sun, between Mars and Jupiter. “Planetary scientists often wish there was something in between those two planets. It seems like wasted real estate,” he said.
These gaps could offer important insights into the architecture of our solar system, and into Earth’s evolution. To fill them in, Kane ran dynamic computer simulations of a planet between Mars and Jupiter with a range of different masses, and then observed the effects on the orbits of all other planets.
The results, published in the Planetary Science Journal, were mostly disastrous for the solar system. “This fictional planet gives a nudge to Jupiter that is just enough to destabilize everything else,” Kane said. “Despite many astronomers having wished for this extra planet, it’s a good thing we don’t have it.”
Artist’s concept of Kepler-62f, a super-Earth-size planet orbiting a star smaller and cooler than the sun, about 1,200 light-years from Earth. Credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/Tim Pyle
Jupiter is much larger than all the other planets combined; its mass is 318 times that of Earth, so its gravitational influence is profound. If a super-Earth in our solar system, a passing star, or any other celestial object disturbed Jupiter even slightly, all other planets would be profoundly affected.
Depending on the mass and exact location of a super-Earth, its presence could ultimately eject Mercury and Venus as well as Earth from the solar system. It could also destabilize the orbits of Uranus and Neptune, tossing them into outer space as well.
The super-Earth would change the shape of this Earth’s orbit, making it far less habitable than it is today, if not ending life entirely.
If Kane made the planet’s mass smaller and put it directly in between Mars and Jupiter, he saw it was possible for the planet to remain stable for a long period of time. But small moves in any direction and, “things would go poorly,” he said.
The study has implications for the ability of planets in other solar systems to host life. Though Jupiter-like planets, gas giants far from their stars, are only found in about 10% of the time, their presence could decide whether neighboring Earths or super-Earths have stable orbits.
These results gave Kane a renewed respect for the delicate order that holds the planets together around the sun. “Our solar system is more finely tuned than I appreciated before. It all works like intricate clock gears. Throw more gears into the mix and it all breaks,” Kane said.
Reference: “The Dynamical Consequences of a Super-Earth in the Solar System” by Stephen R. Kane, 28 February 2023, Planetary Science Journal.
DOI: 10.3847/PSJ/acbb6b
These guys really have a Columbus complex. They’ve discovered (peeped) a new world, but were still in Asia. 50 years of extreme hubris. Disney’s (and Metaverse’s) fantasizing is better. Bless dem kids. As always, Scitech throws in a few very useful factoids. Really bless THEM.
THIS JUST IN. IF A BLACK HOLE DEVELOPED NEXT TO MARS. THE EARTH WOULD GET SUCKED IN AND DESTROYED. Now here’s Tom with the weather.
Your headline is misleading. It sounds like the astrophysicist actually discovered a planet that could harm Earth. #journalism101
Yep! Absolutely SENSATIONAL… All to sell commercial DOPE.
Nobody knows when we will enjoy our new earth. only our creator knows.
SO, a planet was used in the space between mars and jupiter, they found the orbit was unstable to the system, but, they made the planet’s mass smaller and put it directly in between Mars and Jupiter, he saw it was possible for the planet to remain stable for a long period of time, So what is the asteroid belt ?
Astronomers waste time resources in persuit of impossible discoveries. GOD, yes GOD created life on Earth within defined astronomical parameters. Life cannot exist if the Earth orbit were different. Planets in our solar system have the role of providing gravitational balance so that the Sun 🌞 wouldn’t attract Earth and the other planets and suck them. In the outer space there’s a limit of what we can say that planets or stars exist because all the pictures we can get from the telescopes are thousands and millions of light years old which implies that the planets or stars may have vanished during this laps of time. Why do they pretend to be looking for the origins of the universe at the time we cannot travel to the nearest planet. It is absurd to talk about inhabiting other planets since we know that life is impossible on other planets. Or is just a way to find an occupation?? If astronomers say that Earth is in existence since millions of years why then should we worry about collisions and the end to life?? I don’t think GOD took the trouble to create life as we know it on planet Earth and have it destroyed after all His trouble. We still have no idea why GOD created life and probably never will. But one fact remains and it’s that the end is not in the foreseeable future. After all Heaven and Hell exist only in our imagination.
There is not one shred of verifiable evidence for any gods nor a proposed methodology to obtain any. You’re using a logical fallacy called ‘argument from incredulity’ to justify your claim of “god did it.” Logical fallacies are invalid by definition.
GOD is the creator of the universe. Just look at yourself. Man is the most complicated piece of engineering. Then look at the laws of the universe and what we discover every day. Do you think life is a result of an accident ?? If you study life on Earth and the whole universe you will understand that someone created all this. This is GOD and please understand that I am not talking about the false gods like jesus christ… or the god of israel. There’s only one GOD and HE is the creator of the universe.
You may want to discover that GOD could be a she or both. No one knows what or who GOD is. But one thing is clear, GOD IS.
“You’re using a logical fallacy called ‘argument from incredulity’….”
Funny, I never heard of that one–unless it goes by a different name.
It is not important who created the universe or even when it was created. ..We have a higher consciousness than other leaving creatures. ..just relax and be part of the whole and let everything be.We are just like a wave of ocean. .let the wave remain a wave and just be part of the ocean…It is an ocean with a wave,not a wave with an ocean.
There are two creators a He and a She and if we all dont start giving them both the credit that they absolutely deserve then who knows what their next projects may or may not include yourselfs…. There is a reason for this artical its not useless knowledge just like NASA never a straight answer…. Somethings about to happen and its going to be BIG and just like your creators created earth and every galaxy in their universe they can and may also destroy it ….. Because the people here sure as heck dont take care of it and thats obvious Father and Mother Gods say this to all their selfish and ignorant children.. YOU ALL FORGOTTEN WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO DESTROY WHAT YOURSELFS ARE ALREADY DOING A MIGHTY GOOD JOB AT KEEPING YOUR PROMISES WORTHLESS AND UNCREDITABLE MY WIFE YOUR MOTHER GODDESS IS ON OUR PLANET AS WE SPEAK TRYING TO SHOW MYSELF YOUR FATHER THAT THEY ALL DESERVED ANOTHER CHANCE SINCE THEY ALL CARE ABOUT ONE THING ONLY THE LOVE OF MONEY AND SEX AND ABUSING ONE ANOTHER TO THE POINT WHERE SHES LITERALLY SICK EVERYDAY FROM YOUR SINFUL WAYS … I MYSELF WILL REMOVE HER IMMEDIATELY AND WHEN I DO YOUR ALL IN FOR A MAJOR SUPRISE. SO JUST REMEMBER THIS THE GOVERMENTS IN YOUR COUNTRIES ARE LIARS AND WILL BE THE VERY FIRST TO FEEL MY WRATH AND FURY AS FOR YOUR CREATOR GODDESS SHE WILL BE SAFE AND SOUND IN HER REAL HOME OUR KINGDOM THAT IS EVERLASTING AND SS FOR YOURSELFS GOOD LUCK SEEKING REFUGE IN OURSELFS BECAUSE THAT SHIP IS LONG SAILED EXCEPT FOR MY CHOSEN AS THEY WILL SEE NOTHING OF MY FURY ONLY THE LOVE AND LIGHT PROMISED TO MY MEEK AND MILD AND LOVING … THIS IS YOUR ONLY MESSAGE BY THE TIME IT GOES VIRAL THE BRIDE OF CHRIST WILL ALREADY BE GONE … ONLY LOVE COULD OF SAVED THE ONES WHO KNOW NOTHING ANOUT THEIR CREATORS SO TAKE THAT AND EAT IT TILL IT MOLDS INSIDE YOUR HEARTS THAT TURNED TO AN ICKY DULL GRAY… UNTIL THE DAY COMES WHEN YOU SEEK MYSELF AND MY WIFE YOUR GODS WHOM YOU FORGOTTEN .. YOU WILL NOT KNOW REAL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE… LOVE YOURS TRULY YAWEAH AND ALWAYS AND FOREVER MY SPOUSE ASHERAH WHOS NAME NEW NAME IS YET TO BE ANNOUNCED… TO BE CONTINUED
Sorry but you need to find a new religion
With all the worry’s people have living on earth why the hell do these stupid scientists and journalists keep putting out this rubbish .a comet is going to hit us ,china is going to attack us ,Russia is going to attack us ,
It’s just a political agenda to keep everyone quite ,this has been going on since WW11, we had the Cold War then ,now we have so much happening ,the young people are worrying them selves over it , I’m old now have lived through WW11 and every other problems that has been thrown at us ,let the young enjoy there lives without the rubbish that is thrown at them about every catastrophe that is supposed to happen .