Our Early Solar System May Have Been Home To a Fifth Giant Planet

sciencehabit writes: A cluster of icy bodies in the same region as Pluto could be proof that our early solar system was home to a fifth giant planet, according to new research (abstract). That planet may have 'bumped' Neptune during its migration away from the sun 4 billion years ago, causing the ice giant to jump into its current orbit and scattering a cluster of its satellites into the Kuiper belt in the outer solar system.

Comments

Re:how ejected?

[Anonymous Coward]

Two planets that pass too close to each other will disturb each others orbits, for example sending one outwards and the other inwards.

When a spacecraft does this, it is called a slingshot maneuver or gravity assist, but due to the size differences, the spacecraft gets a huge change, and the planet gets a microscopic one.