That’s highly unlikely, according to a British aeronautical engineer interviewed by Live Science. But as the expert explains, “likely” doesn’t mean it’s “impossible,” and he suggested a theoretical path.
Thus, the Earth can exit its orbit under the influence of a massive interstellar object entering the solar system and passing close to the planet. If the object was fast, massive, and passed close enough, it could cause the Earth to “escape” from the Sun.
Another expert, a senior lecturer in physics and astronomy at Cardiff University in England, agreed that the Earth could theoretically be pushed out of the solar system. “The planets are in fixed orbits around the sun as they currently exist. But if the Sun collides with another star, the gravitational interactions of these objects could disrupt those orbits and potentially cause Earth to be ejected from the solar system,” he said.
Source: Ferra
