[GeronL]

we saw what happens when a comet hits a gas giant with Shoemaker-Levy 9.... but hitting Mars would be an awesome sight. Could cause debris that becomes another small moon?

[PapaBear3625]

I get an explosive yield of roughly one billion megatons.

That's a big twinkie. </obscure Ghostbusters reference>

[PapaBear3625]

With respect to some possible future comet hitting Earth: some will say that deflecting something nine miles in diameter (or bigger) is impossible.

We don't need to deflect it. We just need to hit it with something that will cause it to fragment enough that most of the energy will be released in the upper atmosphere.

[Vince Ferrer]

Sorry Martians, but I'd love to see it collide. I'd love to see an apocalyptic explosion, from a safe distance, of course.

[Texas Eagle]

Women and minorities to be hardest hit.

[Revolting cat!]

Martians are all gonna die!

[Bob]

In case you just can’t get enough impact news, it looks like Mars may actually get hit by a comet in 2014! As it stands right now, the chance of a direct impact are small, but it’s likely Mars will get pelted by the debris associated with the comet.

If only those darned Republicans hadn't caused the sequester to happen, this could have been avoided.

[BenLurkin]

Additional comments here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2991393/posts

[COBOL2Java]

"And thanks to the Republicans causing this Sequester, the comet will probably hit the flag our brave white Astronauts planted up there!"

[martin_fierro]

(Phil sure loves his parentheticals, doesn’t he?)