The darkest scenario imaginable could unfold if Earth were to deviate from its orbit.
In the novel “The Wandering Earth” by writer Liu Cixin, he describes an “unthinkable” scenario where world leaders decide to move Earth out of the solar system to escape an imminent massive explosion. In the story, the explosion is portrayed as so powerful that it would destroy all neighboring planets.
Although this novel is entirely rooted in science fiction, it has left scientists pondering: Could Earth really leave the solar system one day?
Can Earth Leave the Solar System?
“I’m not sure this could happen,” says Matteo Ceriotti, an aerospace engineer and lecturer in space systems engineering at the University of Glasgow in the UK when asked about this topic.
However, Ceriotti emphasizes that “not sure” doesn’t mean “impossible.” He believes that theoretically, this could be achieved through the influence of a massive object.
“Earth could be shifted from its orbit if it’s acted upon by a massive object originating from outside the solar system,” he says. “And this is not entirely inconceivable. If the object is fast enough, large enough, and close enough, it could ‘kick’ Earth out of its original orbit.”
Timothy Davis, a senior lecturer in physics and astronomy at Cardiff University in the UK, agrees with this perspective but from a different angle.
He points out that planets are currently in stable orbits around the Sun. However, if the Sun were to “collide” with another star, everything could be disrupted.
“Planets move around the Sun due to gravitational interactions. However, this force can be disrupted if the Sun has an ‘incident,’ causing Earth and other planets to deviate from their original orbits,” says Davis.
Nevertheless, he also acknowledges that such “encounters” between stars are quite rare. In history, we have only observed one star, Gliese 710, with an orbit that could potentially approach the Solar System, but that event is projected to occur in about a million years.
Scientists agree that such an event is a long way off. However, in the worst-case scenario, what would happen to Earth if it were to detach from the solar system?
What Would Happen?
For whatever reason, if Earth were to leave the solar system, it would undoubtedly lead to the destruction of most life on our planet.
One trusted hypothesis is that when Earth is no longer within the solar system, it will move aimlessly through interstellar space. At that point, Earth would drift among the stars until it is devoured by another star or a black hole.
On the surface of the planet, icy conditions would prevail as Earth moves farther from the Sun, causing temperatures to plummet. Ultimately, Earth would freeze completely.
Furthermore, most life on Earth relies on the Sun, either directly (like photosynthetic plants) or indirectly (as herbivores eat plants, and so on). Moving away from the Sun would mean the extinction of life.
The atmosphere would likely cease to exist as well. Before cooling down, the global climate on Earth would fall into chaos due to the loss of the Sun’s radiation balance, and energy would dissipate into deep space.
Apart from random events, scientists also predict that our galaxy will collide with the Andromeda galaxy (2.5 million light-years away), causing significant disruptions in the solar system. Moreover, it is predicted that the Sun will expand and engulf Earth within the next 5 billion years.
However, we don’t need to worry about these scenarios for billions of years to come.