A Star Passed Through the Oort Cloud Less Than 500,000 Years Ago. It Wasn’t the Only One. As stars in the Milky Way move through space, some of them have an unexpected effect on the Solar System. Over time, one comes closer to the Sun during its orbit in the galaxy

According to NASA, Scholz’s star, a red dwarf, may have passed through the Oort Cloud about 70,000 years ago. Scholz’s star is a dim binary stellar system located 22 light-years from the Sun. It’s thought to have come closer to the Sun than any other star. 

The Oort Cloud is a vast cloud of icy planetesimals that surrounds the Sun. It’s theorized to be located between 2,000 and 200,000 AU from the Sun. 

When a star passes by the Solar System, it can take decades to pass through. This can disrupt the orbits of comets, some of which may be thrown out into interstellar space, while others may be nudged toward the inner Solar System. 

The star Gliese 710 has a good chance of passing through the Oort Cloud in about 1.29 million years. Gliese 710 is half the mass of the Sun and is much larger than Scholz’s Star. 

On average, a star passes through the Oort Cloud every 100,000 years. However, close flybys, like those within 52,000 AU, are less common, occurring about every nine million years

The Sun’s orbit through the Milky Way sometimes brings it close to other stellar systems. For example, Scholz’s Star may have passed through the Oort Cloud about 70,000 years ago. 

When a star passes through the Oort Cloud, its gravity disrupts the orbits of some objects. This can send comets hurtling in different directions, including towards Earth

Typically, you can expect a star to pass through (or near) the Oort Cloud every hundred thousand years. Very close flybys (like within 52,000 AU, happen more rarely—about every nine million years. So, it’s a fairly regular occurrence in the long history of the Solar System

Yes, stars passing close to the solar neighborhood can dislodge comets from the Oort Cloud

Here are some reasons why:

• Oort Cloud comets are loosely bound The outer Oort Cloud is only loosely bound to the Sun, so a small gravitational nudge from a passing star can dislodge comets. 
• Oort Cloud comets are unstable Over millions of years, the orbits of Oort Cloud comets become unstable. Eventually, a comet will either be pulled away by a passing star, collide with the Sun or a planet, or be ejected from the Solar System. 
• Stars are massive A star that passes the same distance from an object as that object is from the Sun can “kick” it enough to alter its orbit. However, comets closer to the Sun are tightly held and may never be dislodged

If a large star came too close to our solar system, it could have significant consequences:

• Planetary orbits The star’s gravity could disrupt the orbits of planets, which could lead to climate and temperature changes on Earth. 
• Comets The star’s gravity could affect the motion of comets in the outer regions of the Oort cloud. 
• Planetary systems The star could capture one or more planets, which could lead to the formation of planetary systems around the star. 
• Solar system collapse The solar system could collapse if a passing star came too close. 

According to Space.com, the rest of the planets in the solar system are relatively small, and they don’t cause outright havoc and general destabilization. However, if nothing massive, like a passing star, comes close, things will be just fine for billions of years to come

After several billion years, our Solar System has evolved into sedentary predictability. The planets move as they move, and the Sun sits stolidly in the middle of it all. But if another star came too close, the invisible gravitational bonds that keep everything going the way it is would be stretched or broken

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