A Cosmic Game-Changer
Jupiter, the gas giant that’s 318 times more massive than Earth, has spent billions of years peacefully orbiting the Sun at a distance of about 778 million kilometers (484 million miles). For it to suddenly spiral inward, something extraordinary would need to disrupt that stable orbit.
The most plausible culprits? A rogue black hole or massive star passing dangerously close to our Solar System. These colossal objects could gravitationally interact with Jupiter, pulling it out of orbit or transferring enough energy to send it careening inward. But for this to affect Jupiter alone (and not disrupt the entire planetary lineup), the timing and trajectory of this rogue intruder would need to be precise beyond imagination.
