A new study suggests that Earth and the entire Solar System may have traversed two dense interstellar clouds around 7 million years ago. This event, which would have compressed the heliosphere and exposed Earth to the interstellar medium, could have triggered a global ice age.
Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, dominated in the center of this view by the brilliant Flame nebula . The smaller, glowing cavity falling between the Flame nebula and the Horsehead is called NGC 2023. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
An annotated illustration of the interstellar medium. The solar gravity lens marks the point where a conceptual spacecraft in interstellar space could use our sun as a gigantic lens, allowing zoomed-in close-ups of planets orbiting other stars. Credits: Charles Carter/Keck Institute for Space Studies
A team of astronomers let by Jess A. Miller from the Department of Astronomy of Boston University have traced the path of the Sun back through time. In doing so, they have identified two occasions when the Earth and Solar System passed through two dense interstellar clouds. One of the crossings occurred 2 million years ago, the other 7 million years ago.
Interstellar Clouds Ice Age Solar System Helionosphere Galaxy
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