Is Nemesis a Real Companion Star to Our Sun?

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In summary, Spanish astronomers claimed to have found a companion star to our sun, but later it was found to be a supernova. There is still debate about what caused Sedna's orbit to be so long and distant.
  • #1
YoungDreamer
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I was reading about the hypothectical companion star "Nemesis" and I came across an article in which Spanish astronomers claimed to have found it. Then I seen another article that said what they were looking at was a known young supernova. I believe the name of the star/nova was G1.9

Does anyone know if this is a confirmed dwarf star in our outer solar system?

And is it a generally accepted theory that our sun has a smaller companion star?

If not then what do we think is causing Sednas orbit to be so long and distant?
 
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  • #2
http://www.nowpublic.com/tech-biz/g1-9-confirmed-binary-red-dwarf-star-6
 
  • #3
Given that the referenced article wanders off into la-la land, I'd be suspicious of their claims. Also, if this sighting had any credibility, it would have set a mob of astronomers --amateur and professional-- to aiming their light-buckets and blogging their finds. Hasn't happened.

Against that, there may well be anything from a 'Neptunian' up to a cool 'brown-dwarf' orbiting out beyond Pluto. Possibly multiple. Sedna may have encountered such in the distant past. But, until the WISE infrared survey is complete, we won't know.

FWIW, WISE data has just added a couple of brown dwarfs to our neighbourhood.
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-07-brown-dwarf-solar-neighbors.html
Only, these are 15 & 18 light-years away...
 
  • #4
YoungDreamer said:
http://www.nowpublic.com/tech-biz/g1-9-confirmed-binary-red-dwarf-star-6

Hah! I got about halfway through the article believe they had made some obvious but understandable mistake, when they started going on about Phonons blocking light, and us Earthlings not knowing some BS law of physics or something. A quick glance at the rest of it showed that it was obvious a site for nonsense and not science.

If not then what do we think is causing Sednas orbit to be so long and distant?

It could have been shifted during the early days of the solar system from a near circular orbit to the one it is in now. There's no telling exactly what happened. But in any case, nothing is CAUSING its orbit to be like it is now, it is simply the way it is.
 
  • #5
Here's a tip on how to debunk science stories. If none of the major news or science sites are talking about this then it's almost surely nonsense. That story is a year old and none of the legitimate news sites have mentioned it. Therefore it is nonsense. Not only that if you read further into the article they talk about nibiru and other nonsense. They imply that NASA is incompetent or covering up. They use typical crackpot speak when talking about the "science establishment". Stay away from that website.
 
  • #6
Err, this story falls dead center between the hoof prints.
 
  • #7
I didn't think it could possibly be true.
I thought pretty much what Nik said.
If it was true it would be a huge story probably all over the news and would have hundreds of articles online. However I wanted to make sure so I figured this would be the best place to get the truth.
 

Related to Is Nemesis a Real Companion Star to Our Sun?

1. Is Nemesis real?

Nemesis is a hypothetical star or brown dwarf that some scientists believe could exist in our solar system. However, there is currently no conclusive evidence that it exists.

2. What evidence supports the existence of Nemesis?

Some scientists have suggested that periodic mass extinctions on Earth could be caused by an orbiting companion star, such as Nemesis, disrupting the Oort Cloud and sending comets towards Earth. Other evidence includes a perceived clustering of long-period comets and a proposed periodicity in the impacts of large objects on Earth.

3. Why is there controversy surrounding the existence of Nemesis?

The existence of Nemesis is still a highly debated topic in the scientific community. Some scientists argue that the evidence for its existence is inconclusive and that other explanations, such as the effects of the galactic tide, could account for the observed phenomena. Others argue that the data and theories supporting Nemesis are flawed.

4. Could Nemesis pose a threat to Earth?

If Nemesis does exist and has a highly elliptical orbit, it could potentially come close enough to Earth to cause disturbances in the Oort Cloud and potentially send comets towards Earth. However, the likelihood of this occurring is still uncertain and more research is needed to determine the potential threat of Nemesis.

5. Are there any plans to search for Nemesis?

Several proposals have been made to search for Nemesis, including using infrared telescopes to look for the heat signature of a nearby brown dwarf. However, due to the lack of conclusive evidence, no major efforts have been made to search for Nemesis at this time.

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