How Can Astronomy Even Occur? (Oort Cloud)

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Thread starter Carpe Physicum
Start date Jan 24, 2018
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Astronomy Cloud even Oort cloud

In summary, it seems that even with trillions of objects in the Oort cloud, we would still be able to see the sun because it would be so dense.

Jan 31, 2018

sophiecentaur

Science Advisor

Gold Member

Jenab2 said:

You don't need to see Oort Cloud objects to know that they're there. You only need to compile statistics on the original distances (now aphelion distances) from which comets come. Then you know how far away the Oort Cloud is. This doesn't work with old comets, because old comets might have brushed by objects in the inner solar system and had their aphelions reduced. But it ought to work for young comets just fine.

Oh yes. I realize that we can deduce the presence of the Oort Cloud but we can't actually 'see it'. That's pretty a pretty normal situation in Science.

<h2>1. How was the Oort Cloud discovered?</h2><p>The Oort Cloud was first proposed by Dutch astronomer Jan Oort in the 1950s. He noticed that long-period comets, which have orbital periods longer than 200 years, seemed to come from a common source in the outer solar system. This led him to theorize the existence of a large cloud of icy objects beyond the orbit of Neptune.</p><h2>2. How is the Oort Cloud different from the Kuiper Belt?</h2><p>The Oort Cloud and the Kuiper Belt are both regions of the outer solar system that contain icy objects, but they have some key differences. The Oort Cloud is much larger and more distant, stretching from about 2,000 AU to 100,000 AU from the Sun. The Kuiper Belt, on the other hand, is closer to the Sun and extends from about 30 AU to 55 AU. The objects in the Oort Cloud are also thought to be much larger and more numerous than those in the Kuiper Belt.</p><h2>3. How do objects in the Oort Cloud get their orbits?</h2><p>Objects in the Oort Cloud are thought to have been formed in the early days of the solar system, when the giant planets were still forming. Gravitational interactions with the giant planets caused these objects to be flung out to the outer reaches of the solar system. Over time, their orbits were affected by passing stars and galactic tides, resulting in the spherical distribution of objects we see today.</p><h2>4. Can we observe objects in the Oort Cloud?</h2><p>Currently, we do not have the technology to directly observe objects in the Oort Cloud due to their extreme distance from the Sun. However, we can indirectly study the Oort Cloud by observing the long-period comets that originate from it. These comets can provide valuable information about the composition and structure of the Oort Cloud.</p><h2>5. Could the Oort Cloud pose a threat to Earth?</h2><p>The Oort Cloud is too far from the Sun to pose a direct threat to Earth. However, there is a small chance that a long-period comet from the Oort Cloud could be perturbed by the gravitational pull of a passing star or galactic tide and be sent on a collision course with Earth. This is a rare occurrence, but it has happened in the past and could potentially happen in the future.</p>

1. How was the Oort Cloud discovered?

The Oort Cloud was first proposed by Dutch astronomer Jan Oort in the 1950s. He noticed that long-period comets, which have orbital periods longer than 200 years, seemed to come from a common source in the outer solar system. This led him to theorize the existence of a large cloud of icy objects beyond the orbit of Neptune.

2. How is the Oort Cloud different from the Kuiper Belt?

The Oort Cloud and the Kuiper Belt are both regions of the outer solar system that contain icy objects, but they have some key differences. The Oort Cloud is much larger and more distant, stretching from about 2,000 AU to 100,000 AU from the Sun. The Kuiper Belt, on the other hand, is closer to the Sun and extends from about 30 AU to 55 AU. The objects in the Oort Cloud are also thought to be much larger and more numerous than those in the Kuiper Belt.

3. How do objects in the Oort Cloud get their orbits?

Objects in the Oort Cloud are thought to have been formed in the early days of the solar system, when the giant planets were still forming. Gravitational interactions with the giant planets caused these objects to be flung out to the outer reaches of the solar system. Over time, their orbits were affected by passing stars and galactic tides, resulting in the spherical distribution of objects we see today.

4. Can we observe objects in the Oort Cloud?

Currently, we do not have the technology to directly observe objects in the Oort Cloud due to their extreme distance from the Sun. However, we can indirectly study the Oort Cloud by observing the long-period comets that originate from it. These comets can provide valuable information about the composition and structure of the Oort Cloud.

5. Could the Oort Cloud pose a threat to Earth?

The Oort Cloud is too far from the Sun to pose a direct threat to Earth. However, there is a small chance that a long-period comet from the Oort Cloud could be perturbed by the gravitational pull of a passing star or galactic tide and be sent on a collision course with Earth. This is a rare occurrence, but it has happened in the past and could potentially happen in the future.