Extinction of species by periodic comet showers

Details Extinction of species by periodic comet showers Extinction of species by periodic comet showers

Apr 1984

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1984natur.308..715d&link_type=abstract

Nature (ISSN 0028-0836), vol. 308, April 19, 1984, p. 715-717.

Mathematics

Logic

139

Astronomical Models, Biological Evolution, Comets, Companion Stars, Extinction, Nemesis (Star), Solar System, Asteroids, Oort Cloud, Orbit Perturbation, Stellar Mass, Comets, Extinctions, Periodicity, Time Scale, Impacts, Asteroids, Companion Star, Orbits, Oort Cloud, Perturbations, Origin, Source

Scientific paper

It is proposed that periodic extinction events are triggered by an unseen companion to the sun travelling in a moderately eccentric orbit which at its closest approach passes through the 'Oort cloud' of comets which surrounds the sun. During each passage this unseen solar companion perturbs the orbits of these comets, sending a large number of them into paths which reach the inner solar system. Several of these hit the earth, on average, in the following million years. At present the unseen companion should be approximately at its maximum distance from the sun, about 2.4 light years, and it will present no danger to the earth until about 15 million years from now.

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