Scientific American – Mind

The Sun and Thousands of Its Twins Migrated Across the Milky Way Just in Time

New studies published in *Astronomy & Astrophysics* reveal that the Sun did not travel alone from its birth near the Milky Way’s crowded core to its present suburban orbit. By analyzing chemical signatures and Gaia‑derived motions of 6,594 solar‑twin stars, researchers identified a large cohort that migrated roughly 10,000 light‑years outward. Simulations suggest the galactic bar and a still‑forming corotation barrier, aided by Sagittarius dwarf encounters, enabled this mass migration. The findings reshape our understanding of stellar dynamics and the Sun’s early environment.