The star was disturbed by the prehistoric comets of our system

The star was disturbed by the prehistoric comets of our system

While modern humans were just beginning to leave African territories, and Neanderthals still existed on the planet, the star of Scholz approached less than a light year.

Approximately 70,000 years ago, during the period of human settlement on the planet, a small red star approached our system and its gravity disturbed comets and asteroids. Scientists from the University of Madrid report that some objects are still moving as a result of this influence.

At a time when modern people began to leave the African lands, while the Neanderthals flourished so far, the star Scholz approached a distance of less than 1 light year from the Sun. It is now 20 light-years distant, but 70,000 years ago entered the Oort Cloud.

This fact was discovered in 2015. In the new study, scientists analyzed about 340 objects in the solar system with hyperbolic orbits (V-shaped, not elliptical). It turns out that the approach of the star Scholz influenced the trajectories of some of them. With the help of numerical modeling, we managed to determine locations in the sky. One would expect them to be evenly distributed, especially considering that the objects came from the Oort Cloud. However, the reality is different. A statistically significant accumulation of radiants appears in the direction of Gemini.

The period of passage of the star through the Oort Cloud and its location in the past coincide with the data of the new study. In 2015, it was pointed out that the minimum chapel of convergence was 0.6 light years. But the new analysis lowers this bar.

A close flight of the star 70,000 years ago did not disturb all the hyperbolic objects of the system, but it touched those that were closest. Researchers are confident that new analyzes and observations will confirm the idea that the star approached us in a relatively recent period.

The Star of Scholz is a binary system created by a red dwarf (9% of the solar mass) and a smaller brown dwarf. Perhaps our distant ancestors observed the faint reddish color of a star on one of the prehistoric nights.

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