Jupiter
In an effort to improve life on Earth, scientists at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), have simulated the alternate arrangements of our solar system, and found that when Jupiter’s orbit is flatter, it will cause significant changes to our planet’s orbit as well.
This supposed change caused by the orbit of Jupiter, the most massive planet in the solar system, could positively affect Earth’s ability to support life, according to the Space News website.
“If Jupiter’s position remains the same, but the shape of its orbit changes, it may actually increase the habitability of our planet,” said study director and planetary scientist Pam Vervoort.
Planets with more circular orbits maintain a constant distance from their star while more elliptical orbits bring planets closer and farther from their stars at different points in that orbit.
The proximity of the star determines the amount of solar radiation, which means that it affects the planet’s climate.
If Jupiter’s orbit became more elliptical, the team found that Earth’s orbit would be pushed to become so too. This means that sometimes the Earth will be closer to the sun than it really is.
As a result, some of the coldest parts of our planet will warm up to temperatures in the habitable range of a wide range of life on Earth, which ranges between 32 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit (0 to 100 degrees Celsius).
The team believes their findings could help astronomers identify potentially habitable exoplanets.