Can the Solar System's Chaos Lead to Earth's Sudden Demise?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the stability of the solar system and the potential for Earth's orbit to change dramatically within a million years. Participants agree that while the Sun will not die for another 4.5 billion years, predicting planetary positions over a million-year span is feasible using computer programs. The stability of the solar system has been examined in detail, particularly through the work of mathematician Jacques Laskar, who has conducted numerical experiments on this topic. The consensus is that the likelihood of Earth being "kicked out of orbit" within such a short timeframe is incredibly low.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of celestial mechanics
  • Familiarity with numerical simulations in astrophysics
  • Knowledge of orbital dynamics
  • Awareness of the Late Heavy Bombardment period
NEXT STEPS
  • Research Jacques Laskar's numerical experiments on solar system stability
  • Explore celestial mechanics and its applications in predicting planetary motion
  • Study the implications of the Late Heavy Bombardment on solar system dynamics
  • Learn about computer programs used for orbital simulations
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysicists, and anyone interested in the long-term stability of the solar system and planetary dynamics.

wolram
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Can anyone predict where the planets will be in 1 million years time, could the Earth be kicked out of orbit
a far quicker way to die than waiting for the sun to go nova?
 
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wolram said:
Can anyone predict where the planets will be in 1 million years time, could the Earth be kicked out of orbit
a far quicker way to die than waiting for the sun to go nova?

Why do you think like that ?

Sun will die about 4.5 billion years later so I don't think anything will happen.
 
wolram said:
Can anyone predict where the planets will be in 1 million years time

yes, there are computer programs that can do that
Arman777 said:
Why do you think like that ?

Sun will die about 4.5 billion years later so I don't think anything will happen.

indeed

in the full lifetime of the Sun and the rest of the solar system, a million years is less than a tick of the second hand of the time clock
 
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Size, shape and orientation of the orbit will probably be pretty accurate after 1 million years. Position on this orbit will not. That's because a small error in semi-major axis will lead to a small error in period, which will lead to a small error in position. Year after year, this error builds.
 
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"Kicked out of orbit" is incredibly unlikely, especially ithing only a million years. Note that we have gone 4000x as long since the Late Heavy Bombardment.
 
Thank you for all the replies, I will have to spend some time looking at these papers.
 

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