Comet Interceptor!
March 26, 2019
A space mission to intercept an Oort cloud comet — or, if we’re lucky, an interstellar object like ‘Oumuamua. … More Comet Interceptor!
Category: Solar System
How planets die: pulverized in a deluge of asteroids and comets!
February 15, 2019
Where would we be without the occasional asteroid crashing into the Earth? … More How planets die: pulverized in a deluge of asteroids and comets!
Can moons have moons?
October 9, 2018
Planets orbit stars. Moons orbit planets. But no moons have their own moons (let’s call them submoons). Why is that? … More Can moons have moons?
Is Pluto a mega-comet?
May 31, 2018
Short answer: Well sort of, but it’s more useful to think of it as being built from the same stuff as comets. Like an Uncle of the comets. Read on for an explanation. Earlier this week my wife mentioned a headline she saw. “Pluto is a giant comet? Whoa!” It was all over the place: … More Is Pluto a mega-comet?
The MOJO videos
May 30, 2018
One fine week in May, well, I needed some peace
I packed up my bags and I headed to Nice… … More The MOJO videos
Mars’ growth stunted!
May 29, 2018
Mars is a weirdo. (Well, as far as planets go). Why is it so small (just 11% as massive as Earth)? … More Mars’ growth stunted!
‘Oumuamua: a shred of its former self
January 12, 2018
I once ordered a beer then straight away spilled it all over the bar. There was just a tiny sip left in the glass. Frowny face.
Remember ‘Oumuamua, the weird-shaped rock flying through the Solar System? Just like my sip of beer, it might only be a small piece of what it once was. … More ‘Oumuamua: a shred of its former self
A cigar from another star
November 28, 2017
In Rendezvous with Rama (by Arthur C. Clarke), a mysterious object is discovered passing through the Solar System. The object has a strange shape — it’s a giant cylinder. It was discovered by the Spaceguard survey, designed to find objects that might impact Earth (so-called near-Earth objects). Spoiler alert: the cylinder is a spaceship sent … More A cigar from another star
The asteroid belt: a cosmic refugee camp?
September 13, 2017
The asteroids may be cosmic refugees, ejected from their homes to wander the Solar System, eventually settling in the asteroid belt. … More The asteroid belt: a cosmic refugee camp?
Where did Earth’s (and the asteroid belt’s) water come from?
July 5, 2017
Imagine a dry Earth. No waterfalls. No oceans. No beer (or people to drink it). A sad place. Water is pretty important stuff. In this post we will go deep into how Earth got its water (much deeper than in this post from a while back). And since it’s connected with how Earth formed, our … More Where did Earth’s (and the asteroid belt’s) water come from?
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