4 ms·

I hope we can get spectroscopy done on the tail! It would give us a really unprecedented look into the material composition of other solar systems.

digitalsushi 7y ago
Wouldn't we get the same composition from the spectral analysis of the suns they orbit? Serious question, not a poke. I'm not an astronomy nerd and would love some education from a hn friend.
- gbear605 7y ago
  I’m not an astronomer, but I’d hypothesize that the composition of the non-solar objects in a solar system (eg. a comet) is different from the composition of the sun in that solar system.
  - pmalynin 7y ago
    The spectra we receive will include the absorption lines from passing through the stuff around the other sun and surrounding matter. I don't know how strong the effect will be, but it should be observable.
doctoboggan 7y ago
The included video stated that the comet is composed of similar materials to those that make up our solar system. I am assuming they discovered that using Hubble's spectroscopy capabilities (STIS).
- downrightmike 7y ago
  All of the materials would come from early nova/super nova. I'd wager we'd see a similar composition across at least the milky way.
crispyambulance 7y ago
I wonder if it wouldn't be possible to launch a multitude of craft orbiting in various places around the solar system and just stay primed and ready to intercept and explore these surprise interstellar visitor objects? Is it impractical to achieve this with something like a long-burning ion propulsion system? These things are really unique and it's not like we'll have any other way to explore something up close from outside the solar system
- purple-again 7y ago
  Sadly you will be met with the same arguments that have been brought out since before the time of the moon landing. Why? The money is better spent on maintaining our military advantage over other counties. It’s better spent on housing programs for the poor. It’s better spent on upgrading our crumbling bridges and roads. It’s better spent on new infrastructure like trains and nuclear plants. The list will be endless and all of these people are right. Their world views are no less correct than yours and their interpretation of how our shared resources should be spent equally correct. This is why capitalism is so effective. This is why Monarchies we’re so effective. These systems exist to channel the theoretical 1,000,000 humans away from spending all of their resources advancing 1,000,000 goals a single unit and instead advance one goal a million units (monarchy) or 5 goals 200,000 units (capitalism). Speaking more to the topic at hand, it’s great that we were able to make the progress that we have and let’s be honest that’s owed almost entirely to the moon race going public (same way gluten free everything is available now making the people that really need it very happy because they never would have received nearly as many units of productivity spent on advancing their problem if it hadn’t gone mainstream for a time).
  - muxator 7y ago
    Shouldn't "monarchy" be compared to "democracy" instead of "capitalism"? The economic model pertains to a whole different plane, isn't it?
    - purple-again 7y ago
      In this instance no not at all. I can compare the sun to a box of Cheerios based on that fact that both are yellow and bringing the moon or Fruit Loops into the conversation because you missed the context is “yellow things” is not appropriate. Democracy has no place in what I am discussing. Monarchy and capitalism are both drivers of aggregating individuals labor into a small number of goals. Socialism and Democracy are both sources of driving individual labor into individual pursuits. Only the eye of the beholder can determine what is good or bad. A socialist democracy is most likely incapable of putting a man on the moon. A capitalistic monarchy is most likely capable of solving poverty within its borders (be careful what you wish for as you may be determined to be part of the cause of poverty and excised for the good oc The many).
epiphanitus 7y ago
Anybody else remember when Halley's comet and Hale-Bopp were in the sky at the same time? It was one of the most amazing things I'd ever seen...
- isostatic 7y ago
  No. Hale-Bopp was discovered in 1995 and became visible in 1996. Halley was last visible in March 1986.
yitchelle 7y ago
Can we even assumed that this comet is from or has encountered another solar system?

digitalsushi 7y ago

Wouldn't we get the same composition from the spectral analysis of the suns they orbit? Serious question, not a poke. I'm not an astronomy nerd and would love some education from a hn friend.

gbear605 7y ago
I’m not an astronomer, but I’d hypothesize that the composition of the non-solar objects in a solar system (eg. a comet) is different from the composition of the sun in that solar system.
- pmalynin 7y ago
  The spectra we receive will include the absorption lines from passing through the stuff around the other sun and surrounding matter. I don't know how strong the effect will be, but it should be observable.

doctoboggan 7y ago

The included video stated that the comet is composed of similar materials to those that make up our solar system. I am assuming they discovered that using Hubble's spectroscopy capabilities (STIS).

downrightmike 7y ago
All of the materials would come from early nova/super nova. I'd wager we'd see a similar composition across at least the milky way.

crispyambulance 7y ago

I wonder if it wouldn't be possible to launch a multitude of craft orbiting in various places around the solar system and just stay primed and ready to intercept and explore these surprise interstellar visitor objects? Is it impractical to achieve this with something like a long-burning ion propulsion system? These things are really unique and it's not like we'll have any other way to explore something up close from outside the solar system

purple-again 7y ago
Sadly you will be met with the same arguments that have been brought out since before the time of the moon landing. Why? The money is better spent on maintaining our military advantage over other counties. It’s better spent on housing programs for the poor. It’s better spent on upgrading our crumbling bridges and roads. It’s better spent on new infrastructure like trains and nuclear plants. The list will be endless and all of these people are right. Their world views are no less correct than yours and their interpretation of how our shared resources should be spent equally correct. This is why capitalism is so effective. This is why Monarchies we’re so effective. These systems exist to channel the theoretical 1,000,000 humans away from spending all of their resources advancing 1,000,000 goals a single unit and instead advance one goal a million units (monarchy) or 5 goals 200,000 units (capitalism). Speaking more to the topic at hand, it’s great that we were able to make the progress that we have and let’s be honest that’s owed almost entirely to the moon race going public (same way gluten free everything is available now making the people that really need it very happy because they never would have received nearly as many units of productivity spent on advancing their problem if it hadn’t gone mainstream for a time).
- muxator 7y ago
  Shouldn't "monarchy" be compared to "democracy" instead of "capitalism"? The economic model pertains to a whole different plane, isn't it?
  - purple-again 7y ago
    In this instance no not at all. I can compare the sun to a box of Cheerios based on that fact that both are yellow and bringing the moon or Fruit Loops into the conversation because you missed the context is “yellow things” is not appropriate. Democracy has no place in what I am discussing. Monarchy and capitalism are both drivers of aggregating individuals labor into a small number of goals. Socialism and Democracy are both sources of driving individual labor into individual pursuits. Only the eye of the beholder can determine what is good or bad. A socialist democracy is most likely incapable of putting a man on the moon. A capitalistic monarchy is most likely capable of solving poverty within its borders (be careful what you wish for as you may be determined to be part of the cause of poverty and excised for the good oc The many).

epiphanitus 7y ago

Anybody else remember when Halley's comet and Hale-Bopp were in the sky at the same time? It was one of the most amazing things I'd ever seen...

isostatic 7y ago
No. Hale-Bopp was discovered in 1995 and became visible in 1996. Halley was last visible in March 1986.

yitchelle 7y ago

Can we even assumed that this comet is from or has encountered another solar system?