What evidence in our Solar System suggests the Sun formed in a crowded, clustered birth environment?
The presence of certain short-lived radioactive isotopes in meteorites.
The study of clusters offers historical context not only for galaxies but also for planetary system formation, as nearly all stars, including the Sun, originate in transient embedded clusters. The chemical evidence within our own Solar System points toward interaction with a dynamic, clustered environment early in its history. Specifically, the detection of certain short-lived radioactive isotopes within meteorites suggests that the Sun's nascent environment was influenced by a powerful event, such as a supernova explosion from a nearby massive star, occurring shortly before or during the Sun's formation. Such an event is much more probable in a densely populated, clustered setting rather than in isolation.
