Which forces can disturb the orbits of objects in the Oort Cloud and send them toward the inner solar system?
Answer
Passing stars and the tidal forces of the Milky Way galaxy
The objects within the Oort Cloud are only loosely bound by the Sun’s gravity. Even the weak gravitational influence exerted by passing stars or the tidal forces of the Milky Way galaxy can pull on these objects. These interactions can occasionally knock bodies out of their distant, stable orbits and send them plunging toward the inner solar system, where they become visible as long-period comets.
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