4 Disastrous Events That Can Happen on the Solar System

1 - Galactic strike

As you know, one of the Milky Way's neighbors is Andromeda, a galaxy just over 2.5 million light-years from Earth and which, like our own galaxy, has a spiral shape. What you may not know is that Andromeda is moving at over 400, 000 kilometers per hour toward us - meaning that one day she and the Milky Way are set to lead an incredible galactic crash.

According to astronomers, the force of gravity is responsible for the mutual attraction between the two galaxies, and when the collision happens, the event will last one billion years. During this time, the Milky Way and Andromeda will first turn against each other and then repel each other until, finally, the two will come together in a hug and form a new galaxy - the "Leitomeda"!

The collision will be spectacular, no doubt, and scientists estimate that it should happen within 4 billion years or so. As a result, the new galaxy is likely to be elliptical in shape and emit a reddish glow, but it will probably not destroy the solar system or our planet. After the crash, Earth and the other worlds that make up our neighborhood will take up new residence on the edge of the new galaxy.

2 - Cloud of Killer Dust

Most of us do not imagine that a mere cloud of cosmic dust can do much damage here on Earth, right? However, some simulations have pointed out that this material can be lethal to the life forms that inhabit our planet. According to scientists, if the solar system is swept away by one of these clouds, it will not block sunlight or cause waves of allergies to earthlings.

In fact, the problem is that these clouds are extremely dense, and if one of them passes us it could destroy the heliosphere - the solar region that concentrates the solar winds and acts as a kind of protective shield - making us vulnerable to action. of the cosmic rays.

This will allow all living things on our planet to be exposed to space radiation, not to mention that the cloud of dust and gas can erode oxygen and other elements in the atmosphere. And you know what's the worst of all? There is one of these clouds just 4 light years away from us, and that means the solar system can be hit by it within a few thousand years.

3 - Carrington Event Repeat

In case you have never heard, the Carrington Event was the largest geomagnetic solar storm ever recorded in history. It happened in 1859, and was observed by British astronomers Richard Carrington and Richard Hogson, but luckily at the time, the only known damage was to telegraph systems. However, if something of the same magnitude were to happen today, the consequences would be disastrous.

That's because a solar storm as powerful as the Carrington Event would be able to "fry" power and communication systems - and you know how modern society has become incredibly dependent on these two items. Millions of homes, offices, hospitals, factories, etc. would be rendered incommunicado and without power, and generators and electrical and telecommunications systems would take months to repair or replace.

During this period, in addition to the enormous financial losses, it is possible that humanity would be forced to face serious problems in the supply of food and medicine, and it would be years before the situation returned to normal. The scariest thing is that the Earth has already escaped a "repeat" of the Carrington Event several times - and scientists say it's a matter of time before one of those big solar flares comes our way.

4 - Planetary Domino

Do not think that the solar system is completely stable and that we are not subject to change (and much!) Around here. In fact, the gravitational forces of the different planets affect each other's orbits, and over time our neighborhood can become quite unbalanced.

Simulations conducted by scientists have pointed out that the orbits of the planets that make up the solar system are likely to change in the future - and there is a small chance that one world collides with another within a few billion years, triggering a kind of planetary domino effect.

Astronomers conducted about 2, 500 simulations, of which only 1% (phew!) Ended up with major disturbances. In one scenario, if Mercury's orbit continues to stretch, for example, it may intersect with Venus's - and the two planets could collide. As a result, Mercury could be pushed toward the Sun or kicked out of the solar system, and none of these events would have major consequences for the other planets.

However, if Mercury crosses too close to Jupiter, the gaseous giant's gravitational forces could destabilize its trajectory and thus the orbit of Mars would also be affected. In this case, the Red Planet would come very close to Earth which, in turn, would mess up the orbit of Venus, causing a collision of this planet against ours. Good thing the simulations revealed that the possibility of this happening is very, very small!

Do you know more catastrophic events that could shake the solar system? Comment on the Mega Curious Forum