Jupiter Likely Ejected a Planet from the Solar System

Astrophysicists at the University of Toronto have discovered that Jupiter (Hormoz) likely collided with another giant planet about 4 billion years ago, ejecting it from the solar system. The theory of a fifth giant gas planet existing during the formation of the solar system (besides Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) was proposed in 2011. However, if such a planet existed, how did it leave the solar system? According to the Astronomy News website, scientists had suspected Saturn and Jupiter for several years. Ryan Cloutier from the University of Toronto states, 'Evidence suggests that Jupiter is the main suspect.' Due to the interplanetary collision, one of the two planets gains enough velocity to escape the Sun's immense gravitational pull. According to the Washington Post, Cloutier and his colleagues focused on the moons and orbits of Jupiter and Saturn, conducting computer simulations by tracking new trajectories obtained from 'Callisto' and 'Iapetus' – the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, respectively. These scientists believe that Saturn could not have ejected that planet from the solar system, as its moon would have become highly unstable and would no longer be in its current orbit. However, Jupiter was capable of ejecting that planet while also retaining its own moon. The results of this study were published in a paper in the November issue of the Astrophysics journal.