[meteorite-list] Crackpot impact theory

From: Darren Garrison <cynapse_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat Sep 24 21:58:47 2005
Message-ID: <davbj1tiluih49ri5hocc6uta2k47e1m4h_at_4ax.com>

On Sat, 24 Sep 2005 20:27:27 -0400, "Pete Pete" <rsvp321_at_hotmail.com> wrote:

>
>While critical thinking and skepticism are healthy in science, so is a
>certain amount of objectivity.

<snip>

>scrutiny (see current issue of "Astronomy"), I think I'll wait for a more
>detailed paper before judging Mr Firestone's conclusions.

There is such a thing as having your mind so open that your brain falls out your ear. I am NOT
willing to entertain the possibility that


Let's look at the numbers as given by the article and assume for the moment that the article isn't
orders of magnitude incorrect on any of the figures. The supernova was supposed to be 250
light-years away and happen 41,000 years ago. The multiple-kilometer comet was supposed to have hit
North America 13,000 years ago. So that means that this multiple-kilometer comet, which coalesced
while speeding outward from the supernova from dust and gas, traveled 250 light years in 28,800
years. Which is 0.00868 light years per year, so thus 0.00868 of the speed of light. Around
300,000 kilometers per second times 0.00868 is about 2600 kilometers per second. Anyone care to
calculate the amount of kinetic energy in a 10 kilometer object hittingng the Earth's atmosphere at
2600 kilometers per second? Or even a 1 kilometer object at 260 kilometers per second?

A ten kilometer "comet" traveling at 2600 kilometers per second strking the Earth's atmosphere
13,000 years ago would be somewhat more noticable than a few grains of metal left in the soil. Such
things as, oh, I donno, the atmosphere stripping away, the oceans of the world boiling and the
continents melting, for example. Even if the story were off by orders of magnitude on any of the
figures, it would still be crackpottery.
Received on Sat 24 Sep 2005 09:59:41 PM PDT