The Star That Passed Closest to Our Solar System 70,000 Years Ago
About 70,000 years ago, Scholz's binary star system passed within 0.8 light-years of the Sun, likely crossing the outer Oort Cloud.
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About 70,000 years ago, a dim binary star system made an unusually close pass by our solar system. Known as Scholz's star, the system came to roughly 0.8 light-years from the Sun, far closer than the stars nearest to us today. Its path likely carried it through the distant Oort Cloud, a huge region of icy bodies surrounding the solar system. The encounter was not remotely close enough to threaten Earth directly, but the star's gravity may have disturbed some distant comet orbits. Scientists reconstructed the encounter by measuring the system's present motion and working backward through its trajectory. The system is made of a faint red dwarf and a likely brown dwarf companion, so despite its relatively close passage, it would have been far too dim for ancient humans to normally see with the naked eye. A powerful flare could have made it briefly visible. The encounter is currently regarded as the closest known stellar flyby of the solar system, although improved measurements may identify an even closer ancient encounter. Another star, Gliese 710, is expected to pass much closer to the Sun in roughly 1.3 million years.
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