Posted on 08/24/2007 1:21:38 PM PDT by blam
Jupiter increases risk of comet strike on Earth
11:53 24 August 2007
NewScientist.com news service
David Shiga
Earth experienced an especially heavy bombardment of asteroids and comets early in the solar system's history (Illustration: Julian Baum)
Contrary to prevailing wisdom, Jupiter does not protect Earth from comet strikes. In fact, Earth would suffer fewer impacts without the influence of Jupiter's gravity, a new study says. It could have implications for determining which solar systems are most hospitable to life.
A 1994 study showed that replacing Jupiter with a much smaller planet like Uranus or Neptune would lead to 1000 times as many long-period comets hitting Earth. This led to speculation that complex life would have a hard time developing in solar systems without a Jupiter-like planet because of more intense bombardment by comets.
But a new study by Jonathan Horner and Barrie Jones of Open University in Milton Keynes, UK, shows that if there were no planet at all in Jupiter's orbit, Earth would actually be safer from impacts.
The contradictory results arise because Jupiter affects comets in two different, competing ways. Its gravity helps pull comets into the inner solar system, where they have a chance of hitting Earth, but can also clear away Earth-threatening comets by ejecting them from the solar system altogether, via a gravitational slingshot effect.
Tripled impacts
According to the new study, the worst scenario for Earth is when Jupiter is replaced by a planet with about the mass of Saturn. "[Such a planet] is fairly capable of putting things into an Earth-crossing orbit, but still has some difficulty ejecting them, so they will stay on an Earth-crossing orbit for a much longer time," Horner told New Scientist. The projected result was more than three times as
(Excerpt) Read more at space.newscientist.com ...
Hey! Why don’t we just burn it in our cars?
‘Blam !’ is the sound a comet makes when it strikes the earth. Nicht wahr?
Just like a policeman, where’s Dr. Who when you need him?
Raise taxes; grow Government; elect Democrats; and, destroy American capitalism.
I wanted to get that out before the leftists beat me to it.
We may have to leave Jupiter intact. Some creature has stolen the Illudium 236 Space Modulator!
I use it in my Saturn. I used to burn it in my Comet! Personally, I would just send it to the Ford Galaxy.
We need to stop the neo-jovian menace!!! We can do this by instituting a “fairness doctrine” to ensure those evil VRWC (tm) fascists do not question us like they do man-made global warming (established without a doubt by Hollywood and Gore). They need to respect leftist free-speech and we cannot allow them to speak and spread their lies. We need to then institute a total gun ban to disarm the conservatives. We need even more welfare and government funding for midnight basketball and Islamic footbaths at universities since the Islamics are much better at understanding the cosmos as they worship a lunar god. We then need to “re-educate” the conservatives until they understand that the neo-Jovian threat is bad and must be destroyed (without nuclear weapons of course).
Then we will unilaterally invade Pakistan if they harbor a neo-Jovian (forget this Coalition of 30+ countries Bushitler “unilaterally” invaded iraq with).
/Sarcasm (Like that was not apparent)
Actually, I think 85% of what I wrote above would fly without question at Kos or DU....
One of these days I am going to learn not to click on these threads while drinking my afternoon soda
It’s a universal fuel!
Jove you magnificent bastard
Are we all Dooooomed (tm) yet ?
Well, actually, without Jupiter (or equally massive body: insert Rosie/Moore jokes), the asteroid belt may collapse and the inner planets might be pulverized.
Jupiter's position is like stopping a terrorist attack. Few are happy when we are successful at stopping one, but everyone is angry when we fail.
“...Were all going to die!!!!!! Soon....”
Not as soon as John Evander Couey will.
“...If there were no planet at all in the solar system, there would be far, far fewer impacts!...”
Planets don’t cause impacts. Asteroids cause impacts.
Al Gore should get on this immediately! It’s another “inconvenient truth”.
“Planets don’t cause impacts.”
Yes... but if there were no planets to impact with, think of how many fewer planetary impacts there would be!!!!
Now that’s a thought. Let’s get rid of ALL planets, except good ole Earth.
Lousy Jupitarians...
When asteroids are outlawed only outlaws will have asteroids!
Now now, don’t be planetist, saying that one planet is better than any other.
Now you’ve gone and hurt Mercury’s feelings.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.