Colliding Planets (Don't Panic)

Listen

06/12/2009

Jun. 12, 2009

Colliding Planets (Don't Panic)

Click

to enlarge images

New research finds a small -- but present -- chance of a collision between Earth and one of its planetary neighbors in the next few billion years. Writing in the journal Nature, a team of astrophysicists works the odds of irregularities in the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars eventually leading to a collision between two of the planets. Other scenarios, also unlikely, lead to the ejection of one of the planets from the solar system. The simulations performed by the researchers are more accurate than previous models, with fewer averages and approximations. We'll find out more.

Produced by Christopher Intagliata, Associate Senior Producer

Guests

Greg Laughlin
Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics

University of California Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

Jun. 12, 2009