Cosmic Scar Reveals Ancient Stellar Encounter Near Sun 4.5 Million Years Ago

• Astronomers discovered a "scar" in space, a patch of unusually energized gas, left by two massive stars.
• The stars, Beta Canis Majoris and Epsilon Canis Majoris, passed close to our solar system 4.5 million years ago.
• Their intense ultraviolet radiation ionized the surrounding gas, creating the detectable scar.
• This discovery explains why the local interstellar medium is more energized than previously modeled.
• It highlights how stellar neighbors dynamically shape our solar environment, including cosmic rays and radiation.

Why It Matters: An ancient cosmic scar reveals how massive stars influenced our solar system millions of years ago.