Astronomical observations and solar system stability studies

Astronomers highlight several celestial events occurring in November, including planetary conjunctions and meteor showers. Early morning observers can witness Jupiter and Mars appearing very close to one another around November 15. By November 26, Mars will pass the star Regulus, and by November 30, Mars, Regulus, Jupiter, and a waning moon will all be visible within an 8-degree area.

In a separate scientific development, new numerical simulations suggest the outer solar system may be less stable than previously thought following the death of the sun. A study led by a team in California, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, tested 762 scenarios and found fatal instability in 96 percent of them. These simulations indicate that asymmetric mass ejections from the sun as it evolves into a white dwarf could trigger chaotic gravitational disturbances, potentially ejecting outer planets into interstellar space.