Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Star Predicted to Blast Through the Solar System
Discovery News ^ | Saturday, March 13, 2010 | Ian O'Neill

Posted on 03/14/2010 7:24:24 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

An orange dwarf star named Gliese 710 is powering in our direction and an astronomer has calculated an 86 percent chance of the interstellar interloper smashing through the Oort Cloud, located in the outermost reaches of our solar system. This could have the devastating effect of scattering the icy Oort Cloud objects (or OCOs), causing them to plunge toward the sun and the inner planets, potentially bombarding Earth with comets... It is hypothesized that close encounters of the stellar kind have kicked OCOs out of the Oort Cloud in the past, creating some of the long period comets we see today, such as comet Hale Bopp. It is also thought that such encounters could periodically cause mass extinction events on Earth through comet impacts. Although the star -- currently located 63 light years from Earth and approximately half the mass of our sun -- has been known to be heading for us for some time, this is the first time such a high probability for a close encounter has been calculated. But could Gliese 710 penetrate even deeper into the solar system? Possibly, although those odds are more cheery. The chances of the star reaching as deep as the Kuiper Belt (near the orbit of Pluto) is around 1 in 1000. This might not be an imminent threat, and it's debatable whether any human descendants will be watching the cosmic flyby, it's nice to know when the next risk of comet bombardment may occur. Although I doubt we'd be able to do much about it anyway.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; catastrophism; science
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-49 next last
To: SunkenCiv
Funny thing: Exactly the same thing happened during the first exodus of Jews from Egypt... (<- wierd biblical reference)

And today, as then, Israel will be fighting for it's survival in both times... hmmmm...
21 posted on 03/14/2010 8:00:11 PM PDT by Acrobat (I've never previously said "not my president". I guess there's a first for everything.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

That’s right buckeroos, Lone Star is ridin’ into our system, gun’s blazin. The only man who can save us is US Marshall Matt Dillon ...with the help of Festus!


22 posted on 03/14/2010 8:03:23 PM PDT by dr_who
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Army Air Corps; dcgst4; Eaker; Fiddlstix; FlingWingFlyer; Huskrrrr; JoeProBono; Ken522; ...

:’D


23 posted on 03/14/2010 8:04:18 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (http://themagicnegro.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xp38

LOL!!!


24 posted on 03/14/2010 8:07:06 PM PDT by dcgst4
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

So this thing comes along and destroys earth in about a million and a half years. Great, just great. We just finish paying off Obama’s debts and the world ends a year later. Just my luck.


25 posted on 03/14/2010 8:12:53 PM PDT by Nik Naym (This space under construction)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: reg45
"Almost enough time to pay off 0bama's deficit."

Or that stimulus plan to finally kick in...

26 posted on 03/14/2010 8:14:39 PM PDT by Dacus943
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

From a comment posted to the story. Yep, you guessed it:

“The chances of humankind starting to “develop and execute several very ambitious, expensive and long-lived plans” are slim and none. Consider how many are currently in denial of the imminent problems we will soon be experiencing from the effects of global warming. And that will be happening a lot sooner than Gliese 710 is slated to visit.”


27 posted on 03/14/2010 8:14:59 PM PDT by Williams (It's the policies, stupid)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

How much time do we have (I don’t wanna die a virgin...)? ....


28 posted on 03/14/2010 8:16:40 PM PDT by wendy1946
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Wow! Thanks for the head’s up!

I’d best go down to my shelter and check the date code on my peas and green beans!


29 posted on 03/14/2010 8:21:10 PM PDT by Noob1999 (LOOSE LIPS, SINK SHIPS)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wendy1946
Not to worry, we may have less time than 1.5 million years.
30 posted on 03/14/2010 8:21:55 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (http://themagicnegro.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: left that other site

I don’t think luck will help .. the next 3 will be on our knees.


31 posted on 03/14/2010 8:27:11 PM PDT by CyberAnt (HEALTHCARE IS NOT A "RIGHT"!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
Things to Worry About: Asteroid Impact, Massive gamma ray burst from an outside the solar system event, BSE nvCJD, SARS, Smallpox, Ebola ,Flu- (human, bird, swine, duck, chicken), Salmonella, Carbs, Fat, Protein, Terrorists, Anthrax, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Too little ozone, Too much ozone, Global warming, Global cooling, Global Warming Chaos, Pesticides, Deer ticks, Nerve gas, Dirty bombs, Haliburton, SUVs, Guns, Acid rain, Too much Rain, Too little Rain, Nuclear power, Non-nuclearpower, Nuclear war, Conventional war, Wind Turbines shredding endangered birds, Obesity, Starvation, BCS, The Yankees with A’Rod, NCAA Basketball Tournament Selections, Pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes ,Doberman Pinschers, Chow Chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards, Akitas, green ketchup, MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Pet spiders, Yard Sale Congestion, Red King Crabs, Shadow people, Cattle mutilations, Junk Science, Supersize fries, ”Our worst fears were confirmed”, steroids in baseball, microwave popcorn, HIV, Peak Oil, Cholesterol both LDL and HDL, second hand smoke, Google Telephone Searches, backyard nuclear reactor, Nitrogen pollution, Carbon Dioxide Reported at Record Levels, Dangerous' Curry Colourings, Cataracts from computers, brain tumors from cell phones, fire ants, killer bees, killer tomatoes, killer clowns, the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, Terrell Owens and Ron Artest, Exploding cell phones, cryptococcus gattii, methylisothiazolinone (MIT), "holiday heart," , U.S. Teens Are Among the Worst at Math, picking your teeth in public, "The Hamdog.", Plastic Wrap in a Microwave, mercury, perfluorooctanoic acid, Teflon, KFC frying oil, Starbucks high calorie coffee drinks, Southern San Andreas fault waiting to explode:, Study Says Earth's Temp at 400-Year High, Earth hottest it's been in 2,000 years,strong electromagnetic currents, everything spinning out of control, more women are clinically depressed than ever before, Warming May Make 'Perfect Storm' of Disease, Tofu 'may raise risk of dementia, Researchers Say Popular Fish Contains Potentially Dangerous Fatty Acid Combination (Tilapia) , More Kidney Stone Disease Projected Due To Global Warming , Earth likely to disappear in two centuries, warn experts,. Reusable bag risk, Global warming of 7C 'could kill billions this century'', Jumbo Slice" pizza joints, New York, Boston "Directly in Path" of Sea Level Rise, The next crisis has already begun, Apocalypse now (World to end, Bush's fault), Sun's Plasma Balls Could Wipe Out Human Civilization....

and now...

Star Predicted to Blast Through the Solar System !!!!!!11!!!!one!!!!!eleven!

32 posted on 03/14/2010 8:29:04 PM PDT by ExGeeEye (Talk To The Hand-- Palin 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv


Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

33 posted on 03/14/2010 9:13:54 PM PDT by The Comedian (Evil can only succeed if good men don't point at it and laugh.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

On the contrary, it’s clearly global warming . . .


34 posted on 03/14/2010 9:21:21 PM PDT by sig226 (Bring back Jimmy Carter!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

35 posted on 03/14/2010 9:21:38 PM PDT by Bean Counter (I keeps mah feathers numbered, for just such an emergency...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

“Dwarf Star Predicted to Blast Through the Solar System”
-Hey! I thought Mickey Rooney was already blasting away in California!


36 posted on 03/14/2010 9:22:06 PM PDT by bunkerhill7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Huskrrrr

Dammit! And I already did my taxes.


37 posted on 03/15/2010 3:32:47 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: CyberAnt

You and me BOTH!


38 posted on 03/15/2010 6:01:55 AM PDT by left that other site (Your Mi'KMaq Paddy Whacky Bass Playing Biker Buddy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: ExGeeEye; SunkenCiv; All

Things to Worry About. You forgot high fructose corn syrup and the obesity epidemic, Hanta virus, and the endemic Bubonic Plague in the rodents of 17 of our western states. Let’s keep it real. ;-)


39 posted on 03/15/2010 10:43:16 AM PDT by gleeaikin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: gleeaikin

kill me now


40 posted on 03/15/2010 12:05:33 PM PDT by ExGeeEye (Talk To The Hand-- Palin 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-49 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson