Recent content by lone77star

Orion1, nice formula. Of course, we only have a sample of 1 with Earth, so your dt_2 and dt_3 can only be taken as rough approximations. I think Chronos made a good point about requiring an abundance of metallicity. The first string of second generation stars might not have had sufficient...

I think he was staying on topic. o:) Can a planet suddenly explode? Again, the OP did not specifically constrain the question to natural and local. By comparing other possibilities to natural and local we can get a good idea of what is required for such an explosion, right? :wink: It seems...

: Rude? My dear Drakkith, I apologize for even seeming to be rude, but that was not my intention. Don't be so sensitive. I was making a statement of fact and a "Dutch Uncle" suggestion. If you love science as much as I do, please take it in that spirit. I was very careful not to accuse you...

Some good ideas for the most part. But I don't think chemical bonds have much to do with the effect you're describing. That sounds more like tidal shearing from one gravitational body entering the Roche's limit of another gravitational body. For instance, the rings of Saturn might be the result...

Ahh, so a collision can lead to an explosion, after all? Don't defend a poor idea. Simply let it go and move on. Science is all about humility in the search for answers. Arrogance only gets in the way. We all can learn new things. Certainly, lower speed collisions can cause shearing and...

Okay, dictionary definition -- explode: "Burst or shatter violently and noisily as a result of rapid combustion, decomposition, excessive internal pressure, or other process, typically scattering fragments widely." Hmmm! Sounds like it to me. If you shoot a projectile at Earth, say the size...

Awesome point. So many people say "UFO" and automatically think "little space friends." And I like your "IFO." My parents saw a UFO when we were moving from West Texas to D.C. in 1962. My mind was stuck out the back window toward the home we were leaving. A silver object above the highway a...

Yes, a planet can explode, if it is hit by a massive enough object at a fast enough speed. Like the cometary material that hit Jupiter several years ago? Yikes! Otherwise, a planet is largely stable. I have wondered if our sun went supernova (which it won't because it is too lightweight) if...