Alpha Centauri might have captured Proxima

[Brian G Turner]

An intriguing suggestion from computer modelling suggests that Proxima Centauri, along with it's potentially habitable planet, may have been captured by the binary stars of Alpha Centauri at some time in the past:

Our closest star system may be home to a stolen star and planet

While certainly not proof, it's good to see the idea of wandering stars and planets being captured becoming more acceptable. In this case, suspicions are already high because the star Proxima apparently has a very different chemical signature to Alpha, suggesting that both stars did not form from the same disc of matter.

 

[J Riff]

What's great is that Astromony is finally changing, a bunch o fit, a lot of it. Proxima may be part of something that blew up once and, as our nearest neighbor, should probably be visited by us in case they need help. )

 

[Parson]

I love this stuff. I don't know if we'll ever reach the stars but if I could, I would.

 

[Brian G Turner]

In this case, suspicions are already high because the star Proxima apparently has a very different chemical signature to Alpha, suggesting that both stars did not form from the same disc of matter.

However, there could be an alternate explanation to this - New Scientist put up a story today where a similar discrepancy between two other binary stars has been put down to one of them devouring a large rocky planet: Star nicknamed Kronos after eating its own planetary children