Research by NASA scientists suggests that distant planets that share Earth-like qualities may use friction to move from volatile orbits into more stable ones.
Computer modelling showed that the right amount of friction could help planets in volatile orbits move to more circular orbits much quicker, giving them a nearly melted layer, similar to the one beneath the Earth’s crust.
The research concluded that the effect of this friction could reduce the move into a safer orbit to hundreds of thousands of years, as opposed to millions.
Read more at NASA