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Could a Comet Hit Mars in 2014?
discovery.com ^
| Feb 25, 2013 01:12 PM ET //
| by Ian O'Neill
Posted on 02/26/2013 9:02:24 AM PST by BenLurkin
click here to read article
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To: BenLurkin
I think we should be aiming water laden comets and asteroids at Mars to terraform it.
Specifically I think we should be trying to increase the mass of Mars so that it can better retain an atmosphere. It’ll need a bigger moon too, to help even out temperature fluctuations and add some internal heating from gravitational pull.
Some of the mirror and laser ideas that are being presented for asteroid deflection could probably work. We could send a swarm of mirrors out to deflect the astroid Apophis which could hit us in 2029 if we don’t. And then let these go on out to the asteroid belt and start deflecting asteroids towards mars.
41
posted on
02/26/2013 11:46:46 AM PST
by
DannyTN
To: BenLurkin; GraceG
42
posted on
02/26/2013 11:53:55 AM PST
by
KC_Lion
(Build the America you want to live in at your address, and keep looking up.-Sarah Palin)
To: Darksheare
I think it is officially out of local jurisdiction.
43
posted on
02/26/2013 12:06:25 PM PST
by
Dead Corpse
(I will not comply.)
To: T. P. Pole
It may very well be. Estimates of comet density average about .6g/cm^3 (of course the data is spotty). I selected the density of water as a standard because of its ease of use and the fact that it is a metric that most people understand. That said, the USDA standard for full fat ice cream is a minimum of 4.5 lbs/gallon. Conversion to the metric system gives a density of approximately 539 grams/liter or .539g/cm^3, slightly under the estimated average comet density. Recalculating the mass of the comet using the density of full fat ice cream, we arrive at 3.5*10^13 metric tons. If the collision takes place, it will still be a significant event.
44
posted on
02/26/2013 12:42:39 PM PST
by
stormer
To: stormer
To: Darksheare
"Is it too late for me to deny involvement?" Yes. I told you not to use your cannon against that space butterfly!
.
Good shot, by the way!
46
posted on
02/26/2013 6:52:03 PM PST
by
NicknamedBob
(If it was good enough for the Krell, then it's good enough for me!)
To: DannyTN; BenLurkin; Darksheare; Dead Corpse
"Specifically I think we should be trying to increase the mass of Mars so that it can better retain an atmosphere. Itll need a bigger moon too, to help even out temperature fluctuations and add some internal heating from gravitational pull." It isn't necessary to make every world a duplicate of Earth. Variety is the spice, they say.
The good news is that you don't need to increase the mass of Mars. It's a nice thought, but who wants to wait around for that?
If you supplemented Mars' atmosphere up to about Earth pressure, it would take about a million years for it to leak away again. That's the good news.
The bad news is that the best gas to use for the purpose is carbon dioxide. So you still wouldn't be able to go shirtsleeve without a breathing supply and mask.
Planet Venus offers a plentiful supply of carbon dioxide, free for the taking, and most folks think that removing it would improve that planet too. Take all you want. If it leaks away, go back for more.
For me, it's not so important that humans be able to breathe the atmosphere of Mars without assistance; but I'd like to get it so that plants would feel at home there.
Imagine the size of trees grown in Martian soil and gravity!
And don't worry about a bigger Mars moon. We'll orbit it with a Rotavator. That should be exciting to watch!
47
posted on
02/26/2013 7:04:36 PM PST
by
NicknamedBob
(If it was good enough for the Krell, then it's good enough for me!)
To: NicknamedBob
Odds are against my banked shot in the corner pocket by the way.
Playing billiards in space ismore difficult than I imagined.
/ bad joke.
It would be interesting to see what would happen should it plow into Mars.
48
posted on
02/27/2013 5:38:21 AM PST
by
Darksheare
(Try my coffee, first one's free.....)
To: NicknamedBob
You could start with carbon dioxide, seed the planet with plant life and let the plants convert the carbon dioxide.
But I don’t see how your going to get the carbon dioxide from venus to mars. Comets on the other hand can be gently nudged into trajectories that will colide with Mars.
As for venus, I say we engineer some life that can survive in the extreme conditions of Venus that will trap some of the sulfur. Turn it loose and see what happens.
Unless we can find some alkaline comets that we can crash into venus that will help trap sulfur.
49
posted on
02/27/2013 6:59:20 AM PST
by
DannyTN
To: BenLurkin; brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; ...
Thanks BenLurkin. Looks like a good ‘extra, extra’ topic for APoD members.
50
posted on
02/27/2013 7:42:58 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
To: 75thOVI; agrace; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; aragorn; aristotleman; Avoiding_Sulla; ...
51
posted on
02/27/2013 7:43:56 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
To: GraceG
I think the expand part is wrong. Look how many times in the past we have been corrupted to total evil. Noah, and before that the Baharishva whatever the Indians have record of.
This place is under a napalm strike order. Get your heart right and seek God almighty, or else.
52
posted on
02/27/2013 8:37:39 PM PST
by
rawcatslyentist
("Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one," Jeremiah 50:31)
To: BenLurkin; winoneforthegipper; machogirl; The Cajun
My queston is: If they've estimated nucleus size of 50km for this one, which is HUGE; why hasn’t an official size estimate of ISON’s nucleus, which is coming this fall, been released?
53
posted on
03/02/2013 7:03:39 PM PST
by
Errant
To: BenLurkin
Can we deflect it so that it hits Washington DC?
54
posted on
03/02/2013 7:05:36 PM PST
by
dfwgator
To: stormer
Ill leave it to someone else to do force and energy calculations.2×10¹º megatons
:)
55
posted on
03/02/2013 7:08:22 PM PST
by
Errant
To: Errant
why hasnt an official size estimate of ISONs nucleus, which is coming this fall, been released? Ya just want to worry people on a Saturday night, don't ya, LOL!
56
posted on
03/02/2013 7:18:58 PM PST
by
The Cajun
(Sarah Palin, Mark Levin......Nuff said.)
To: Errant
I think that “would leave a mark.”
57
posted on
03/02/2013 7:28:41 PM PST
by
KC Burke
(Plain Conservative opinions and common sense correction for thirteen years.)
To: The Cajun
58
posted on
03/02/2013 7:44:39 PM PST
by
Errant
To: KC Burke
500 km across and 2 km deep!
59
posted on
03/02/2013 7:47:59 PM PST
by
Errant
To: Errant
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