The surface of our planet could be even more hospitable to life if the gas giant shifted its orbit.
"We show that both assumptions are wrong."
If Jupiter's orbit became more eccentric the team found that Earth's orbit would be pushed into becoming more eccentric too. This means at times Earth would be even closer to the sun than it already gets. The team thinks their results could help astronomers determine which planets outside the solar system — exoplanets — could be habitable.
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