---
title: "Researcher: Passing Star Could Yeet Earth Out of Solar System"
description: "Incoming stars that whip past the Earth could throw our planet out of orbit and move it away from the Sun, argues an astrophysicist."
date: "2020-02-26"
modified: "2020-03-06"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/researcher-passing-star-yeet-earth-solar-system"
categories:
  - "Energy"
  - "Renewable Energy"
  - "Science & Energy"
  - "Solar Power"
tags:
  - "earth"
  - "habitable zone"
  - "solar system"
  - "the digest"
---

# Researcher: Passing Star Could Yeet Earth Out of Solar System

![There is a chance that incoming stars that whip past the Earth could throw it out of orbit and move it away from the Sun, an astrophycisist argues.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/researcher-neighboring-star-yeet-earth-solar-system.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Image via NeedPix/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Booted

While it's extremely unlikely, there is a chance that incoming stars that whip past the Earth could fling it out of the solar system, [argues astrophycisist Paul Sutter on *Space.com*](<https://www.space.com/rogue-star-kick-earth-out-solar-system.html>) — the same scientist, you'll recall, who released instructions for [building your own DIY wormhole](<https://futurism.com/physicists-instructions-traversable-wormhole>) last year.

The apocalyptic result, according to Sutter: Our planet is hurtled "into the depths of interstellar space, doomed to wander the frozen wastelands of our galaxy, with any life on that planet quickly and permanently erased."

## Pure Chaos

The risk is that Earth would receive a "swift kick" from a passing star's gravity, which is what astronomers have often referred to as the "three body problem": the movement of three bodies interacting via gravity is far more chaotic and unpredictable than just two.

"The problem is that with three objects, any little deviation or shift can lead to massive changes in a surprisingly short amount of time," Sutter explained.

## Frozen Wasteland

According to [previous research](<https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.10595>), a star passing our solar system at the right angle with enough mass would have to "pass within the orbit of Jupiter to have a decent chance of knocking us from our orbit; otherwise, its gravitational influence is just too inconsequential," notes Sutter.

It's a scary thought, but the chances of that happening have been and will remain infinitesimally small.

**READ MORE:** [Can a rogue star kick Earth out of the solar system?](<https://www.space.com/rogue-star-kick-earth-out-solar-system.html>) \[*Space.com*\]

**More on Paul Sutter:** *[Physicists Publish Instructions For DIY Wormhole](<https://futurism.com/physicists-instructions-traversable-wormhole>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)