Some news outlets have reported that HIP 85605 will collide with the Solar System in approximately 300 thousand years.

Is the star really that dangerous? We asked Ilfan Bikmaev, Head of the Department of Astronomy and Space Geodesy.

«According to existing measurements, HIP 85605 is a cold dwarf of less than one Solar mass. It is situated in the constellation Hercules in about 6.8 parsecs from Earth, or 210 trillion kilometers. According to spectroscopic observations stored in SIMBAD, its direct range rate is 21 km/sec. Even if it moved directly towards the Sun, it would require 317 thousand years to approach our star. Keeping in mind the measurement errors, we don't have any basis to confirm that this star will actually ever come close to the Sun», he commented.

Obviously, the Sun itself will also move significantly from its current position in that timeframe. In all likelihood, HIP 85605 will miss the Solar System by a very sizable distance, so that no one on Earth will actually notice it without special equipment.