Ancient stellar flyby may still be steering long-period comets today | HappeningNow.news
Published Date: June 25, 2026

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Ancient stellar flyby may still be steering long-period comets today

The recent discovery suggests that a stellar flyby in the distant past may still be influencing the orbits of long-period comets today.

Source Phys.org AI Summary Updated 2h 25m ago
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The recent discovery suggests that a stellar flyby in the distant past may still be influencing the orbits of long-period comets today. This finding is based on data from the Gaia mission, which has provided researchers with a deeper understanding of the motions of nearby stars. The passage of a star near our solar system could have triggered a significant increase in the number of comets that are ejected from the outer reaches of the solar system. This, in turn, could be responsible for the long-period comets that are observed today. The implications of this discovery are still being explored, but it highlights the complex interactions between our solar system and the surrounding stars.

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