Study explores possibility of Solar System capturing rogue planets and asteroids

A new study suggests that the Solar System could capture rogue planets and asteroids as they travel through space. This possibility was explored after astronomers observed interstellar objects like ‘Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, which passed through but did not stay. The research indicates that rogue planets, formed in protoplanetary discs, can be ejected from their original systems. The study proposes that our Solar System may have produced its own rogue planets, potentially including a hypothetical "Planet 9." The team identified regions in space where weak gravitational capture of interstellar objects could occur. They suggest that if captured, these objects would initially have chaotic orbits but could eventually settle into stable paths without colliding with the Sun.