Waspie_Dwarf Posted May 7, 2013 #1 Share Posted May 7, 2013 Where Do Baby Comets Come From? Comets are enigmatic celestial objects that have captivated mankind through history. Their long, bright tails often dazzle as they approach the sun, but they can be a destructive force, pulverizing planetary surfaces throughout the evolution of the solar system.But where do these interplanetary interlopers come from? As it turns out, that's far from an easy question to answer. Read more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freetoroam Posted May 7, 2013 #2 Share Posted May 7, 2013 I know stork is not the answer. Wait for slapped wrist from Waspie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted May 7, 2013 Author #3 Share Posted May 7, 2013 Wait for slapped wrist from Waspie. Not at all. However if you had said that stork WAS the answer... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrooma Posted May 7, 2013 #4 Share Posted May 7, 2013 storks! not very scientific freet! now, if you'd said 'mummy & daddy comets.....' (you'd have sore wrists?) :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrooma Posted May 7, 2013 #5 Share Posted May 7, 2013 it's a shame that Voyager's batteries will be dead long before it hits the oort-hills clouds, as it could confirm or deny their existences. also, we'd be able to tell whether or not it'd been destroyed in a possible collision, but as it stands, we'll never know..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilly Posted May 8, 2013 #6 Share Posted May 8, 2013 So, does this mean the Oort Cloud is kind of a celestial 'cabbage patch' for the formation of baby comets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abramelin Posted May 8, 2013 #7 Share Posted May 8, 2013 From the article: "Unfortunately, no man-made spacecraft has reached the distance of the Oort Cloud and space observatories aren't powerful enough to prove its existence, so for now, it will remain a topic for debate. One thing is for certain though, long period comets will continue to unexpectedly appear out of the depths of space, like a whale from the depths of the oceans. Quite where they come from though will remain a mystery." In short: they don't know, yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted May 8, 2013 Author #8 Share Posted May 8, 2013 In short: they don't know, yet. Not entirely accurate. I would dispute the article's use of the word "mystery," as it is misleading. The Oort cloud almost certainly exists, it just hasn't been observed. It would be truer to say, "in short the can't prove where they come from yet." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Merton Posted May 8, 2013 #9 Share Posted May 8, 2013 I detest the word "mystery" in a scientific context. It has such a Discovery Channel flavor to it. "Unknown" is so much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie_Dwarf Posted May 8, 2013 Author #10 Share Posted May 8, 2013 I detest the word "mystery" in a scientific context. It has such a Discovery Channel flavor to it. "Unknown" is so much better. I wholeheartedly agree. I always have misgivings posting Discovery articles. On the one hand they are often on interesting subjects, but on the other they often have the sloppy and sensationalist journalism of a tabloid newspaper. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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