There are about one million interstellar objects greater than 100 meters in diameter with origins in Alpha Centauri, the neighboring star system. They are currently within the Oort cloud (the layer of ice cream that surrounds our solar system). Alpha Centauri bombard the solar system without pause.
Researchers studied Alpha Centauri and his interstellar activity. That is, the movement of gas, dust and other space materials that reach our galaxy. The interstellar activity was simulated in Alpha Centauri, a solar system with three soles.
This figure will continue to increase as Alpha Centauri approaches our solar system. Its closest approach is expected to occur in approximately 28,000 years in the future. The finding is published in The Planetary Science Journal.
Bringing visitors
«We know through our own solar system that giant planets bring some chaos to space. They can disturb the orbits and give an additional impulse to the speeds of the objects. Thus they escape the gravitational attraction of the sun ». Cole Gregg, astrophysicist at Western Ontario and Co -author of the study.
«Alpha Centauri is expelling material. There are many reasons to wait for part of that material to be reaching us, ”they indicate. The new interstellar activity model also foresees that up to 10 meteors originated in Alfa Centauri could enter the earth’s atmosphere every year. These hypothetical meteors would not have more than 100 micrometers of size. Therefore, they would not cause any concern on earth.
«If our models are correct, there is no reason for alarm. These things are probably in our solar system, but they are just a tiny fraction of all asteroids and other objects that are out there, ”they indicate. “One in each billion meteors that impact on Earth could be from Alfa Centauri.”
Interconnected galaxy
«Throughout the history of astronomy, every time we observe a system, we think of it as a closed system. First, we thought the earth was the center of everything. Then we discover that we are part of a larger solar system. Then it was learned that we are part of the Galaxy of the Milky Way, ”said Gregg. «The galaxy is not a collection of all these individual star systems. But they should be studied as an interconnected system, one that shares all this interstellar material among the stars ».
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