Most of the early Speculation involved a "Near Miss" of Jupiter, resulting in the "Tidal Forces" of intense gravitation ripping the "Planet" apart--Thus the "Asteroid Belt..."
But there's also the "Velikovsky Model," in which the Planet Venus is the "Stray Astronomical Body" responsible for both the Moon & MANY Other Phenomena in the Skies!
One MINOR point----Velikovsky DID predict "surface Conditions & Chemistry" on Venus FAR More Accurately than "Astronomers" of his time! (surface Temperatures ~ 700+degrees; Chemistry Mostly Hydrocarbons!)
But--of Course--Velikovski was a "Von Daniken-Level" "Whack-Job!!"
Only goes to show the depth of our Ignorance!
Doc
As you pointed out, in the early 50's he predicted that Venus would be much hotter (specifying the temperature that would be found within 35 degrees) than can be accounted for by "greenhouse" effect at a time when "astronomers" and "planetologists" were confident that Venus was covered by water oceans and temperatures only 50 deg. F. above Earth's, accurately described the chemical makeup of the atmosphere of Venus that was later corraborated by probes when most astronomers and planetologists were convinced that Carbon Dioxide (actually almost non-existent) would be the primary component, and that they would find some strange things about the actual rotation of the planet... and we find that not only is Venus revolving retrograde, it is apparently tidally locked on Earth!
More and more archealogical anomolies are being found that calls our current orthodox chronology into question.
It seems to me that the test of any theory is how well does it predict actual events. Using this as a criteria, Velekovsky seems to doing all right.
just a bttt for a moldy old topic.
Mystery Spot On Jupiter Baffles Astronomers
10/23/03
Posted on 10/23/2003 5:41:53 PM PDT by Davea
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1006938/posts
39 posted on 10/23/2003 6:44:20 PM PDT by Swordmaker
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1006938/posts?page=39#39