Our solar system has always had four giant planets–Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus. But millions of years ago, there may have been a fifth giant planet that was booted out of the solar system.
Computer simulations by David Nesvorny at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, show that it is statistically extremely unlikely that the solar system began with four giants.
By his calculations, it only had a 2.5 per cent chance of reaching its current population and orbital layout with four giants, but was 10 times more likely to have developed to its present state if there was a fifth monster body in the mix.
Nesrorny ran 6000 simulations of the birth and development of our solar system to reach his conclusions.
“ The possibility that the solar system had more than four giant planets initially, and ejected some, appears to be conceivable in view of the recent discovery of a large number of free-floating planets in interstellar space, indicating the planet ejection process could be a common occurrence,” he says.
And which planet gave the fifth planet the boot? According to the simulations, it was most likely Jupiter. The simulations show Jupiter’s moving toward the center of our solar system and then suddenly jumping out, knocking the fifth giant out.
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