Posted on 01/11/2020 10:42:56 AM PST by SunkenCiv
The popular Jupiter Shield theory proposes that the planet acts like a giant space shield due to its huge mass causing it to suck in or deflect dangerous debris.
However, this shield theory is slowly falling out of favor and one of the leading critics is space expert Kevin Grazier. [Kevin R. Grazier, Ph.D.]
He's published several papers explaining why he thinks Jupiter is a "sniper rather than a shield".
Recently, he's been aiming to prove how this 'sniper-like' process works.
Grazier's extensive work could put the Jupiter Shield theory in jeopardy.
He told Gizmodo: "Actually, I wouldn't say that it's in jeopardy -- I would say that it has been laid to rest.
"Our simulations show that Jupiter is just as likely to send comets at Earth as deflect them away, and we've seen that in the real solar system."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Unless you’re talking a Theia sized collision, Mars’ lack of a substantial atmosphere would mean the heat would rapidly dissipate into space. Theia was estimated to be about the size of Mars, which itself is only 1/10th the size of Earth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theia_(planet)
So optimally, there would be an asteroid, almost certainly from outside the solar system, about the size of Venus, which is 8/10ths the size of Earth, that would enter Jupiter orbit and break up before its fragments flew off to Mars. It might even have a catastrophic collision with one of Jupiter’s moons.
Only after that, a bunch of large comets would arrive, covering the still hot Mars with water.
Yes, it would take a while, but otherwise colonizing Mars would have no staying power.
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