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To: NormsRevenge; RadioAstronomer; sionnsar; cogitator
OK, I’ve got a hard spot with this:

They assign a 1 in 75 chance of the asteroid hitting Mars - which is fine, orbital uncertainties in a multi-body calculation are a given even this close to a (potential) impact date.

Then the writer claims that the on-ground Mars camera is “outside the impact zone” (of the crater). If they aren’t sure of any impact at all, how can they claim that any given spot below is away from the zone?

Are they placing it in an alternate hemisphere (possible north pole impact while the camera is at the equator?) Other side of the planet (day impact side/night lander side ?)

Neither case is implied.

Let us hope that the impact is on our visible side, and that the orbital cameras are usable that direction.

32 posted on 12/20/2007 9:04:04 PM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but Hillary's ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE
Let us hope that the impact is on our visible side, and that the orbital cameras are usable that direction.

It would seem that the cloud of tektites formed by the impact would be a threat to any camera, orbital or ground.

Workers investigating the Chicxulub event on earth report finding layers of decomposed glass beads at widely scattered sites that were presumably formed by the impact. Some workers think that the molten beads might have ignited vast forest fires around the world, as well as propagating an intense heat wave from the impact zone. The density of the Chicxulub-correlated bead layers would suggest a threat to any Mars orbiters if the object were to strike Mars, and possibly to the ground rover as well.

Disclaimer: the correlation of the glass-bead layers to the Chicxulub event is being disputed vigorously by some workers.

46 posted on 12/21/2007 12:11:52 AM PST by lentulusgracchus ("Whatever." -- sinkspur)
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