Possible 'super-Earth' that could have destroyed our planet proves we're all lucky to be here

Take a moment to think about our solar system. Now imagine an alternate version with a super-Earth.

Although it may sound ideal, having one in our solar system would have actually lead to disastrous climate chaos on Earth, as well as Mars and Venus.

Scientists who specialise in learning about planets recently created a simulation of this alternate version of our solar system, which would have led to a bleak situation for us if it actually happened during the formation of our solar system.

Interestingly, there are super-Earths in the Milky Way, except in our own solar system. To be considered a super-Earth, the planet must be larger than Earth but smaller than ice giants like Neptune and Uranus.

They can be made of gas, rock, or a combination of both and are the most common type of exoplanet in the Milky Way.

Our solar systemwww.nps.gov

According to Florida Institute of Technology planetary scientists, Emily Simpson and Howard Chen, it’s no coincidence that our own solar system lacks a super-Earth. If we had one nearby, we probably wouldn’t be here.

The two scientists hoped to find out how exoplanets might influence others near them. They found that if a super-Earth had formed between Mars and Jupiter, it could have destroyed Earth.

They used models to show how this planet, named Phaedra, would have wreaked havoc on Earth’s climate. We’re talking about extreme winters and extremely hot summers. Basically, Earth would have been unfit for life to thrive.

The scientists tested different mass and orbital configurations for Phaedra and found that a planet just two times Earth’s mass would have led to hellish seasonal shifts, leading to a volatile climate. If the super-Earth was 10 to 20 times Earth’s mass, our home planet would have been uninhabitable.

"The configuration that we end up with within the solar system is definitely not something that is indeed common," Chen told Space.com. "While the chances of this happening in our own solar system is small, it could very well happen in many exoplanet systems."

We can all thank our lucky stars that a super-Earth did not develop in our solar system.

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