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Researchers are studying the possibility of particles from the closest star system to us – Alpha Centauri – entering the Solar System.
Using modern models, they predict that a small number of interstellar meteors could reach Earth each year.
– note Cole Gregg and Paul Wiegert from the University of Western Ontario. The number of such objects is expected to increase as Alpha Centauri approaches the Solar System.
Although this star system is about 5 billion years old, most of its protoplanetary material has already dispersed. However, the gravitational influence of the three stars and possible planets may contribute to the dispersion of debris into interstellar space. Studies indicate that the Oort cloud may contain up to a million objects larger than 100 meters in size, which potentially originate from Alpha Centauri. However, their observation is a difficult task due to the enormous distance and the dispersion of such objects in the outer reaches of the Solar System.
NASA device New Horizons, equipped with a dust detector, could theoretically detect particles that have entered the Kuiper belt. However, the question of how particles survive the journey through interstellar space remains open. Interstellar particles can be deflected by magnetic fields, slowed by the interstellar medium, or destroyed by high-energy gas atoms.
The Sun's gravitational influence can accelerate particles that enter the inner Solar System, making their detection even more difficult. Comets from Alpha Centauri are theoretically possible, but their observation remains elusive. Future missions and improved analysis techniques may help identify interstellar material, which will allow us to better understand how star systems interact.
