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Mars May Get Hit By a Comet in 2014
The Slate ^
| February 28, 2013
| Phil Plait
Posted on 03/03/2013 2:33:55 PM PST by JerseyanExile
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To: JerseyanExile
21
posted on
03/03/2013 3:17:37 PM PST
by
BenLurkin
(This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both)
To: JerseyanExile
"And thanks to the Republicans causing this Sequester, the comet will probably hit the flag our brave white Astronauts planted up there!"
22
posted on
03/03/2013 3:22:18 PM PST
by
COBOL2Java
(Fighting Obama without Boehner & McConnell is like going deer hunting without your accordion)
To: GeronL
23
posted on
03/03/2013 3:43:43 PM PST
by
jmcenanly
("The more corrupt the state, the more laws." Tacitus, Publius Cornelius)
To: jmcenanly
Yes!
It would instantly become one of the most studied phenomenon
24
posted on
03/03/2013 3:48:48 PM PST
by
GeronL
(http://asspos.blogspot.com)
To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...
25
posted on
03/03/2013 5:56:26 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
To: JerseyanExile
(Phil sure loves his parentheticals, doesn’t he?)
To: jmcenanly
I’m not at all hopeful that any will survive the debris.
27
posted on
03/03/2013 6:12:57 PM PST
by
null and void
(Gun confiscation enables tyranny. Don't enable tyranny.)
To: morphing libertarian
Good idea. We need to send a mission there to rescue the flag the astronauts planted.
28
posted on
03/04/2013 6:28:45 AM PST
by
Texas Eagle
(If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Te?xas Eagle)
To: null and void
The orbiters should be safe, being in low Martian orbit. As for the landers, Opportunity might have some trouble, being a solar powered lander, but Curiosity should have no problem, as its power source is nuclear. It should be interesting getting pictures of the sky as whatever debris cloud comes to the landing sites.
29
posted on
03/04/2013 5:19:21 PM PST
by
jmcenanly
("The more corrupt the state, the more laws." Tacitus, Publius Cornelius)
To: jmcenanly
A blast that large will create an ejecta plume that rains rocks all over the planet and fills the near martian space with a cloud of crud from dust to boulders. A single pea sized chunk traveling at hypersonic velocity can cripple a satellite. It will be like flying through a sandblaster.
I wouldn't be greatly surprised if even here on earth we see a noticeable increase in visible meteor trails.
Even if Curiosity is undamaged, likely as it is a small target and enjoys some protection from the thin martian atmosphere, its ability to communicate with earth will be degraded to 32 kbits/sec via its X-band direct link. This is about 1.4 gigabits per sol. As near as I can figure, this is about a third of the data rate it has with the assistance of the orbiters.
It should make for some very interesting video!
30
posted on
03/04/2013 5:52:00 PM PST
by
null and void
(Gun confiscation enables tyranny. Don't enable tyranny.)
To: null and void
Marvin will destroy it before it can do any damage!
31
posted on
03/04/2013 6:00:50 PM PST
by
GOYAKLA
(Waiting for the Golden Screw to be removed from Obama's navel and his a$$ falls off!)
To: GOYAKLA
Nah, no Earth-shattering boom:
Where’s the Earth-shattering boom?
32
posted on
03/04/2013 6:26:12 PM PST
by
null and void
(Gun confiscation enables tyranny. Don't enable tyranny.)
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