Posted on 06/30/2012 1:48:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
SCIENTISTS have captured the moment a giant solar flare from a distant star scorched one of its orbiting planets, blasting the upper atmosphere away.
NASA's Swift Telescope detected a huge X-ray flare from the star 63 light years from Earth and then the Hubble recorded the pictures as it ripped into an orbiting gas giant known as "HD 189733b".
While the planet managed to survive the experience, scientists calculated it received three million times as many X-rays as Earth receives during a solar flare.
At least 900 tonnes of gas was ejected from the planet's atmosphere per second at a speed of more than 482,803km/h.
If this had happened on Earth our atmosphere would have been destroyed, leaving the planet a hardened husk of its former self, much like the planet Mercury.
Scientists say the affected planet still has gas to spare but by orbiting to close to its sun it risks being destroyed.
(Excerpt) Read more at heraldsun.com.au ...
“Therefore it’s Harry Truman’s fault, not George W. Bush’s.”
I beg your pardon, it certainly was George W Bush’s fault as he was already destroying the universe at the age of 3.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Enterprise was always near every danged planet that got destroyed.
;’)
The chunk observed to be blasted away was the same shape as Michael Moore.
It’s amazing how FReepers can joke about pretty much anything. ;’) I mean, really, what’s more serious than an explodin’ freakin’ planet?!? ;’)
Alderon?
It blew up 63 years ago! The mourning period is over.
I’ve had it, and I’m stormin’ out of here! Goodbye forever!
Wait, what? ;’)
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