Collision will cause greenhouse effect, global warming and make the Red Planet look like Earth
Collision of a comet with a diameter of 50 km with Mars, which may happen next fall will change the conditions for Red planet, bringing them closer to the earth. Probability of this event increased: new data on the movement of the celestial body allowed clarify its trajectory.
Comet C / 2013 A1, discovered in early 2013 by astronomers Australian Observatory Siding Spring, close to Mars in 04:20 GMT on October 19, 2014. Three days ago it was believed that it will pass at a distance of about 0,0007 astronomical unit, or 105 thousand km from the center of Mars.
But now new data have been obtained, on the basis of which the calculations are clarified: now we are talking about a distance of 41 thousand km from the center of the planet, or about 37 thousand km from its surface. Observations for the comet continues, and its trajectory will be clarified.
“If this clash happens, we can definitely talk a significant change in the current status quo on Mars, “said Australian astronomer Robert Matson. According to the scientist, the blow 50-km comet at a speed of 56 km / s will lift into the atmosphere gigantic amount of dust due to emitted during the explosion energies melt and evaporate huge volumes of water ice and frozen carbon dioxide. This may lead to an increase in the greenhouse. effect and global warming on the Red Planet.
In case this event occurs, energy will be released, equivalent to 20 billion mt, and the diameter of the crater will be approximately 500 kilometers. Scientists have developed several development models further developments, and global warming is just one of them.
According to another model, dust rising into the atmosphere will delay sun rays and will lead to cooling, as it happened during the time of global dust storms on Mars in the 70s. XX century. Powerful explosion can affect tectonic processes and “wake up” volcanic activity of the planet.
The size of the coma – the gas envelope around the comet’s nucleus – exceeds 100 thousand km, so it’s already clear now: even if the planet isn’t If it encounters C / 2013 A1, it will definitely go through its shell. “Mars there is nothing to defend, so microparticles of dust will bombard its surface, which can negatively affect automatic stations, “said astronomer Leonid Elenin, who calculated the trajectory comets.
Currently, three automatic orbital stations: American Mars Odyssey and Martian reconnaissance satellite “, as well as the” Mars-express “of the European space agency. On the surface of the planet are two American Mars Rover: Opportunity Landing in 2004 year, and Curiosity, operating since August 2012.
By the time the comet approaches Mars, it should go into its orbit another automatic station is MAVEN, the launch of which is scheduled for November 18, 2013. It is specially created for atmospheric analysis. planet and its upper layers, scientists believe that MAVEN will be able to study in detail the composition of the coma C / 2013 A1.
Vadim ANUFRIEV
A photo from open sources PHOTO: Deposit Photos
On Mars, the end of the world will come October 19, 2014 Astronomers have discovered a giant comet that can crash into the red planet
Astronomers prophesy planetary catastrophe to Mars – collision with a comet designated C / 2013 A1. Her discovered on January 3, 2013 by the famous comet hunter Robert McNaught from the Australian Observatory Siding Spring (Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia). His colleagues from Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona confirmed the discovery by finding the image of the comet in their data, collected December 8, 2012.
The Americans provided the information they had that and allowed to make preliminary calculations of the flight path heavenly guest. And it turned out that she would cross the orbit of Mars 19 October 2014 It is possible that may happen and catastrophe.
– Current comet orbital uncertainty indicators are quite a collision scenario is also possible, astronomers say.
If the comet itself hits Mars, it will surely destroy the remnants of life that may have been preserved there. And which with such zeal is trying to find the robot “Curiosity”. In short, local the end of the world will be provided.
Photos from open sources
The comet “intersects” with Mars on October 19, 2014. Photo: NASA
According to the famous astronomer Leonid Elenin, who discovered not so long comet comet (Elenin), comet C / 2013 A1 moves at least and at an angle, but almost towards Mars. Therefore, the approach speed is huge – almost 60 kilometers per second. For comparison, an asteroid, who killed dinosaurs on Earth 66 million years ago, moved to two times slower. Its diameter was “only” 10 kilometers.
And the diameter of the comet’s nucleus is colossal – about 50 kilometers. By According to estimates, such a body should leave a crater with a diameter of at least 500 kilometers and a depth of more than 2 kilometers. The explosion will release energy of 20 billion megatons of TNT. Survive whether the robots left on Mars is not known.
Most likely, the vehicles in orbit will not be affected. They will remove the cataclysm. Or at least the comet itself, flying very close. Vladimir Lagovsky
Australia Time Global Warming End of the World Mars Robots
