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10mo ago

New Study Links Ancient Climate Change to Interstellar Cloud Passage

Research suggests Earth's climate may have been influenced by dense gas clouds in interstellar space millions of years ago.

About two million years ago, the Solar System may have passed through a dense cloud of hydrogen and radioactive material. It compressed the heliosphere, the protective cocoon the Sun provides for Earth and the other planets. It's shown here as the dark gray bubble over the backdrop of interstellar space. This could have exposed Earth to high levels of radiation and influenced the climate, and possible human evolution. Photo courtesy of Opher, et al., Nature Astronomy
A blue, green and white sphere surrounded by orange swirls
Zoom-in of the LxCCs as seen in 21 cm data from the GALFA-HI survey f

Overview

  • Scientists propose that Earth passed through a dense interstellar cloud 2-3 million years ago.
  • This passage could have compressed the heliosphere, exposing Earth to cosmic radiation.
  • Evidence includes isotopes like iron-60 and plutonium-244 found on Earth and the Moon.
  • The encounter might have contributed to climatic shifts, possibly affecting early human evolution.
  • Future research aims to explore other potential interstellar encounters and their impacts on Earth's climate.