How feasible you think Nemesis theory is

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of the Nemesis theory, which posits that the Sun is part of a binary star system with a companion star, potentially influencing the gravitational dynamics of the solar system and increasing the likelihood of comet impacts on Earth. Participants explore the implications of this theory, its historical context, and the lack of evidence supporting it.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express curiosity about the Nemesis theory, questioning whether it is a legitimate scientific theory or merely speculative.
  • One participant highlights the absence of direct evidence for Nemesis and suggests that a star in such a close orbit would likely have been detected by now.
  • Concerns are raised regarding the claimed periodicity of Nemesis, with one participant noting that if it were responsible for mass extinctions every 26 million years, there should be more evidence of its influence in the geological record.
  • Another participant mentions that the theory originated in the 1980s and that subsequent searches for a brown dwarf companion have not yielded results, leading to skepticism about its existence.
  • There is a distinction made between the Nemesis theory and the "Nibiru" concept, with one participant categorizing Nibiru as pseudoscience.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the validity of the Nemesis theory. While some express skepticism about its feasibility due to a lack of evidence, others find the concept intriguing and worth discussing further.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the limitations of the current understanding of the theory, including the challenges of detecting a potential companion star and the implications of its supposed periodicity on extinction events.

Chewy0087
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Hey guys, just wondering really how feasible you think Nemesis theory is?

For those of you not familiar with it;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemesis_Theory

To summarise, it's the theory that we're part of a dual-star system, ("nemesis & the sun), as opposed to the single one we think we have, and due to the 'orbiting'/movement of this red dwarf it may affect the gravitational fields within the inner solar system, meaning more comets etc hit earth, this is due to gravitational affect of this red dwarf 'messing around with' the gravitational effect of Jupiter which usually cleans up all of these comets before they enter the inner solar system.

Sorry if I've summarised it badly but anyway, my question is that is it an actual theory or just nonsense which could work?

I think it's a really cool theory, and would be pretty awesome if it's true :P, apart from the fact that a large percentage of species are wiped out when it comes! But anyway, I know it's a red dwarf but wouldn't we have spotted it?

Sorry for pestering i guess but that wikipedia article isn't very helpful & I couldn't find any good articles on it, surely it'd be quite a big thing? :o

Thanks in advance
 
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i thought it was planet nibiru that was going to kill us all not some nemesis doomsday star :O hahahaha oh my.

as well many groups monitor any asteriods or comets that may come close to Earth i forgot the website to check them out ... but i believe the next time something comes close enough to merit 'observation' is in 2030 something and the chance of impact with Earth was liek 0.004% or something.
 
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There is no direct evidence for Nemesis. It would be difficult for a star so close to evade detection. It would also be difficult for a star in such a wide orbit to have made so many passes without being perturbed by the gravity of nearby stars.

"Nibiru" is pseudoscience, plain and simple.
 


My biggest problem with the "Nemesis" theory is the period. It is claimed that it comes around every 26 million years causing mass-extinctions. Well obviously there would've been 2 visits almost 3 since the "Dinosaur killer" with no other mass extinction events of note. What happened? If I have miss or mis-understood some fact please clue me in, I find this confusing.
 


Chewy0087 said:
Sorry if I've summarised it badly but anyway, my question is that is it an actual theory or just nonsense which could work?

Some people came up with it in the 1980's. Once they came up with it, then people started looking for the brown dwarf. Haven't found it, and we are at the point where not finding something means that it probably doesn't exist.

I think it's a really cool theory, and would be pretty awesome if it's true :P, apart from the fact that a large percentage of species are wiped out when it comes! But anyway, I know it's a red dwarf but wouldn't we have spotted it?

Brown dwarf. With the data available in 1980, it could be there. With more data, almost certainly not.
 

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