Inner solar system might go bonkers, maybe

William Atkins
Thursday, 11 June 2009 19:34

Science - Space

The possibilities of such collisions are remote, at best, but they could occur.

Dr. Gregory Laughlin, of the University of California, Santa Cruz, wrote an analysis of the paper, which also is found in the journal Nature.

It is entitled “Planetary science: The Solar System's extended shelf life.”

In the abstract, Laughlin states, “Simulations show that orbital chaos can lead to collisions between Earth and the inner planets. But Einstein's tweaks to Newton's theory of gravity render these ruinous outcomes unlikely in the next few billion years.”

Dr. Laughlin also comments in a June 10, 2009 MSNBC article. He states, "I see the results as a case of the glass being 99 percent full and 1 percent empty. While it's possible that a collision could occur billions of years from now, it's actually very unlikely."

For additional information on this possible-but-still-unlikely-and-far-in-the-future scenario, please read the MSNBC article “Neighboring planet could hit Earth ... eventually.”