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As telescopes of ever-greater power scan the cosmos looking for life, knowing where to look — and where not to waste time looking — will be of great value. New research describes possible planetary systems where a gravitational nudge from one planet with just the right orbital configuration and tilt could have a mild to devastating effect on the orbit and climate of another, possibly habitable world.
The magnitude of the chaos can range widely from planets whose orbits remain largely circular to those whose orbits get so elongated that a planet could slam into its host star — an extreme form of climate change. Even if the effect isn’t that dramatic, the orbit — and thus the climate, as orbit is a primary driver of climate — could still be severe enough to inhibit life, or sterilize the planet if life has already begun.Image credit: Rory Barnes
