Scientists solve solar system mystery after freak accident at planetarium show

Independent

03-06-2025

Scientists have solved one of the solar system's enduring mysteries with the help of an unexpected source: a planetarium show.
Last year, experts at the American Museum of Natural History were preparing 'Encounters in the Milky Way," a deep dive into our home galaxy shaped by the movements of stars and other celestial objects.
While fine-tuning a scene featuring what's known as the Oort Cloud, a region far beyond Pluto filled with icy relics from the solar system's formation, scientists noticed something unusual projected onto the planetarium's dome.
The Oort Cloud is known to send comets hurtling towards Earth, but its true shape has remained elusive to scientists until now.
'Why is there a spiral there?' said the museum's Jackie Faherty.
The inner section of the Oort Cloud, made of billions of comets, resembled a bar with two waving arms, similar to the shape of our Milky Way galaxy.
Scientists had long thought the Oort Cloud was shaped like a sphere or flattened shell, warped by the push and pull of other planets and the Milky Way itself. The planetarium show hinted that a more complex shape could lie inside.
The museum contacted the researcher who provided the Oort Cloud data for the show, who was also surprised to see the spiral.
'It's kind of a freak accident that it actually happened,' said David Nesvorny with the Southwest Research Institute.
Realising they'd stumbled on something new, the researchers published their findings earlier this year in The Astrophysical Journal.
The spiral is "a striking shift in our understanding of the outer solar system,' planetary scientist Andre Izidoro with Rice University, who was not involved with the study, said.
The discovery, relying on data on how celestial objects move and using simulations, will be difficult to confirm with observations. But knowing more about the orbits of distant comets could give scientists some clues, Izidoro said.
While putting together the planetarium show, the museum's experts weren't expecting a window into the universe's inner workings.
The show, narrated by actor Pedro Pascal, features many vivid scenes that may capture audiences more than the Oort Cloud, said the museum's Jon Parker — including an ongoing merge of the Sagittarius mini galaxy with the Milky Way.
No matter how striking and beautiful the visuals of the show, the museum was committed to making it scientifically accurate. That's what created the perfect conditions to stumble upon something new, said the museum's Carter Emmart.
'You just never know what you're going to find,' Emmart said.