2021/03/31 by Michael B. Lund, Lund, Michael B.
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) #FOS: Physical sciences #Popular Physics (physics.pop-ph) #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2103.17079
openalex publication_date 2021/03/31 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The last 25 years have been revolutionary in astronomy, as the field of exoplanets has gone from no known planets outside the Solar System to thousands discovered over the last year few years. This represents a rapid increase not just in known planets (often referred to as Mamajek's Law), but also in total planetary mass. What has been heretofore unaddressed, however, is that this rapid increase in planetary masses may have disastrous consequences for the future of humanity. We look at how the number of planets, and more importantly, the mass of these planets has changed in the past and how we can expect this to change in the future. The answers to those questions, and how we respond to them, will determine if humanity is able to survive beyond the next 230 years.