The sun may harbor a theoretical red dwarf twin named “Nemesis” that orbits the solar system in lockstep and hurls killer comets toward Earth every 26 million years, according to a New York Post report.
The 26-Million-Year Extinction Cycle
UC Berkeley professor emeritus of physics Richard Muller calculates that the next barrage from Nemesis is 12 million years away, nypost.com reported. Muller bases his theory on a 1982 study showing marine extinctions spiking on a steady 26-million-year cycle. One such spike 66 million years ago coincided with a massive impact in Mexico that wiped out the dinosaurs.
However, Walter Alvarez, the Berkeley geologist behind the impact theory, notes that scientists remain unable to determine whether the impactor was a comet or an asteroid, according to the report.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Muller explains that Nemesis mirrors the sun while orbiting a shared center of gravity, which explains why astronomers have failed to spot the strange star. The star sits near the plane of the solar system, making it far too dim to see with the naked eye among countless background stars.
Every 26 million years, Muller theorizes, this companion makes its closest pass through the Oort Cloud, triggering a comet shower lasting a million years.
Disputing the Nemesis Theory
Other researchers challenge the hidden star hypothesis. A 2014 Penn State study analyzing NASA’s WISE infrared telescope data found no evidence of the companion star.
The outer solar system probably does not contain a large gas-giant planet, or a small companion star,
Kevin Luhman, associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State, stated at the time.
Despite those findings, Muller insists no clear evidence disproves the theory because the theoretical star remains hidden.
