The threat of Centaurs for the Earth

[Waspie_Dwarf]

The threat of Centaurs for the Earth

Astrophysicists calculate the impact probability and crater size of impacts due to minor bodies

Quote

The astrophysicists Mattia Galiazzo and Rudolf Dvorak from the University of Vienna, in collaboration with Elizabeth A. Silber (Brown University, USA) investigated the long-term path development of Centaurs (solar system minor bodies which originally have orbits between Jupiter and Neptune). These researchers have estimated the number of close encounters and impacts with the terrestrial planets after the so-called Late Heavy Bombardment (about 3.8 billion years ago) as well as the possible sizes of craters that can occur after a collision with the Earth (and the other terrestrial planets). The publication was recently published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

  Read More: Universität Wien

 

[Jon the frog]

Never seen the ''Centaurs'' denomination for celestial bodies. Quite interesting and strange orbit around different planets. Look like an hybrid between a comet and a moon !

[Taun]

Good article waspie... But I have to admit I thought this article was going to go a whole different direction, based on the title

[Waspie_Dwarf]

4 minutes ago, Jon the frog said:

 Quite interesting and strange orbit around different planets.

They aren't in orbit around planets, they orbit the sun between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune.

6 minutes ago, Jon the frog said:

Look like an hybrid between a comet and a moon !

As a moon is basically any object in orbit around a planet, whatever it's made of, I'm not sure exactly what you mean by this.However as comets originate in the outer regions of the solar system, either the Kuiper belt or the Oort cloud, then icy objects found in this region are going to be very similar to large comets.

[Jon the frog]

1 hour ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

They aren't in orbit around planets, they orbit the sun between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune.

As a moon is basically any object in orbit around a planet, whatever it's made of, I'm not sure exactly what you mean by this.However as comets originate in the outer regions of the solar system, either the Kuiper belt or the Oort cloud, then icy objects found in this region are going to be very similar to large comets.

Thx, looking back at the schema I see where the sun is now.... was thinking they had an elliptic orbit between the two gaz giant and not around the sun...would have been a crazy orbit. They are less awesome than i was thinking.

Edited October 12, 2018 by Jon the frog

[DirtyDocMartens]

Well, that was a letdown.