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Space

Stolen planet could be hiding on the edge of our solar system

When the sun was young, it may have stolen a planet from another nearby star – meaning an exoplanet could be waiting on the outer edges of the solar system for us to discover

By Becky Ferreira

15 December 2023

The sun may have stolen a planet from another star

European Southern Observatory

A Mars-sized planet stolen from another star system may be hiding on the edges of our own, according to a model of planetary evolution. While the existence of such a planet remains to be verified, if it does exist, it would offer a way to visit an exoplanet without having to travel the vast distances between the stars.

“You need everything to line up incredibly well to be…

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