Alien star could have side-swiped our solar system closer than Voyager

Our solar system might still bear the scars from an extremely close shave with an alien star. Such an encounter – the closest pass we know of – would have shaken up objects on the outskirts and might even mean there’s no Planet Nine after all.Continue … Continue reading Alien star could have side-swiped our solar system closer than Voyager

Alien star could have side-swiped our solar system closer than Voyager

Our solar system might still bear the scars from an extremely close shave with an alien star. Such an encounter – the closest pass we know of – would have shaken up objects on the outskirts and might even mean there’s no Planet Nine after all.Continue … Continue reading Alien star could have side-swiped our solar system closer than Voyager

“Modified gravity” could rule out both dark matter and Planet Nine

Our solar system officially houses eight planets, but some scientists say there could be a ninth. And that’s not just Pluto aficionados – evidence suggests a huge undiscovered world lurks on the dark fringes out there. Now, a new study has found the ou… Continue reading “Modified gravity” could rule out both dark matter and Planet Nine

Out of this world: Bizarre space-oddities that might just be for real

Space is an exceptionally strange place, full of signals and observations that defy our understanding of the universe. In trying to explain these mysteries, sometimes astronomers hypothesize extremely exotic objects that we haven’t yet found. Here are … Continue reading Out of this world: Bizarre space-oddities that might just be for real

Sun’s long-lost twin could have captured Planet Nine

While the Sun is very clearly a solo act nowadays, some astronomers theorize that it once had a binary companion star. Now, Harvard scientists have added weight to the idea by showing that an ancient binary solar system explains the strange structure o… Continue reading Sun’s long-lost twin could have captured Planet Nine

Planet Nine could be a black hole, and a new telescope will tell us

The closest confirmed black hole to Earth is 1,000 light-years away – but could there be one hiding in our own backyard? It’s been hypothesized that a tiny black hole could be orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune, and now astronomers have proposed how we mi… Continue reading Planet Nine could be a black hole, and a new telescope will tell us

Almost 140 new minor planets spotted in the outer solar system

Well over 100 new minor planets have been discovered in our solar system, in the darkness out beyond the orbit of Neptune. The discoveries were made by sifting through several years’ worth of data gathered by the Dark Energy Survey (DES), and applying … Continue reading Almost 140 new minor planets spotted in the outer solar system

Close encounter with alien star could explain ’Oumuamua, debunk Planet Nine

Our solar system has several “belts” of rocky planetesimals that are essentially the crumbs left over from the formation of the planets and moons. But new research suggests some of them could actually be alien, captured during close flybys wi… Continue reading Close encounter with alien star could explain ’Oumuamua, debunk Planet Nine