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Message
Something to consider before sending nano-probes speeding off into space
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:23 pm
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:23 pm
One idea is to send nano-probes at some incredible speed so that they can reach Proxima Centauri in a reasonable amount of time (20 years travel time IIRC). One possible idea is to use a laser to accelerate these probes at 20% the speed of light. In theory.
The problem the only way these probes will ever slow down from that speed is if they hit something. Even at that very small mass those probes would be delivering an amount of energy equivalent to a small atomic bomb due to their speed.
So, if we send out a string of probes to transmit back data, and they don't get stopped and then all hit a planet beyond somewhere, we will be effectively bombing that planet from afar.
The problem the only way these probes will ever slow down from that speed is if they hit something. Even at that very small mass those probes would be delivering an amount of energy equivalent to a small atomic bomb due to their speed.
So, if we send out a string of probes to transmit back data, and they don't get stopped and then all hit a planet beyond somewhere, we will be effectively bombing that planet from afar.
15
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:25 pm to PatDyesPants
quote:
we will be effectively bombing that planet from afar
AMERICA
frick YEAH
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:25 pm to PatDyesPants
How much pot have you smoked today?
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:28 pm to PatDyesPants
They should have been watching out for bombs.
We are watching for incoming interstellar shite.
Their fault, as I see it.
We are watching for incoming interstellar shite.
Their fault, as I see it.
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:28 pm to PatDyesPants
What if unexplained sudden deaths on earth are caused by nano probes sent from Proxima Centauri?
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:30 pm to PatDyesPants
if the planet has an atmosphere I don't think these tiny probes would make it through without burning up.
If it doesn't have an atmosphere there would be no life to negatively affect.
It would be decades before the probes even traveled far enough to have the potential to reach another solar system, with no gaurantee it would be aimed directly at one. Plus the chances of hitting something as small as a planet as spread out and vast as the galaxy is would be pretty low IMO.
If it doesn't have an atmosphere there would be no life to negatively affect.
It would be decades before the probes even traveled far enough to have the potential to reach another solar system, with no gaurantee it would be aimed directly at one. Plus the chances of hitting something as small as a planet as spread out and vast as the galaxy is would be pretty low IMO.
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:30 pm to PatDyesPants
Wouldn't they burn up in the atmosphere? Assuming there's an atmosphere?
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:33 pm to PurpleandGold Motown
Possibly, however that energy will go somewhere in the form of heat at least.
Heat energy equivalent of 50 atomic bombs added to an atmosphere basically all at once?
Heat energy equivalent of 50 atomic bombs added to an atmosphere basically all at once?
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:38 pm to PatDyesPants
It's my opinion that the odds of hitting another system in our galaxy are low, and hitting an actual planet in that system is well below a fraction of 1%.
Similar to how our crafts go through the asteroid belt easily without even seeing an asteroid
-The mass of our entire solar system is 1.0014 solar masses. So almost all of the mass is located in the sun.
-the diameter of the sun is about 900,000 miles
-from earth to the sun is 93 million miles, which equals 1 AU.
-pluto's average distance from the sun is 40 AU.
-Pluto is 5 light hours from the sun.
-Alpha Centauri is 4.25 light years from the sun.
-you could fit over 7,400 solar systems between here and Alpha Cebtauri (I only included sun to Pluto, not Ort cloud, since we are talking about hitting a habitable planet)
so you could pretty much fit 100 suns between the sun and earth, and 4,000 suns between the earth and Pluto. how many plutos you could fit between Pluto and the sun is mind boggling.
So the odds of randomly passing through our solar system and hitting a planet is very very small, the odds of even hitting a solar system passing through The Galaxy is very small, combined with odds of life on a random planet... I think we are fine
^mass is pretty spread out across the galaxy
: odds it hits nothing>>>odds it hits a star/sun>>>>>>>>>odds it hits a planet
Similar to how our crafts go through the asteroid belt easily without even seeing an asteroid
-The mass of our entire solar system is 1.0014 solar masses. So almost all of the mass is located in the sun.
-the diameter of the sun is about 900,000 miles
-from earth to the sun is 93 million miles, which equals 1 AU.
-pluto's average distance from the sun is 40 AU.
-Pluto is 5 light hours from the sun.
-Alpha Centauri is 4.25 light years from the sun.
-you could fit over 7,400 solar systems between here and Alpha Cebtauri (I only included sun to Pluto, not Ort cloud, since we are talking about hitting a habitable planet)
so you could pretty much fit 100 suns between the sun and earth, and 4,000 suns between the earth and Pluto. how many plutos you could fit between Pluto and the sun is mind boggling.
So the odds of randomly passing through our solar system and hitting a planet is very very small, the odds of even hitting a solar system passing through The Galaxy is very small, combined with odds of life on a random planet... I think we are fine
^mass is pretty spread out across the galaxy
: odds it hits nothing>>>odds it hits a star/sun>>>>>>>>>odds it hits a planet
This post was edited on 8/27/16 at 5:42 pm
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:55 pm to tigerman03
quote:
How much pot have you smoked today?
Not enough to realize anywhere near how big space is.
Posted on 8/27/16 at 4:57 pm to PatDyesPants
I heard one was sent to uranus
Posted on 8/27/16 at 5:08 pm to PatDyesPants
If they pass close enough to a star or even a large planet, the gravitational pull might be strong enough to slow it down.
Posted on 8/27/16 at 5:11 pm to Lsuchs
Far out, man
Posted on 8/27/16 at 7:10 pm to tigerman03
quote:
How much pot have you smoked today?
He should smoke more and watch this
If the sun was a grain of sand at midfield in Tiger Stadium, Pluto is on the 47 yard line, and Alpha Centauri is somewhere in Gonzales
Another fun fact:
as spread out as the solar system is, you could fit all 7 other planets and Pluto inbetween the Earth and the Moon
This post was edited on 8/27/16 at 8:16 pm
Posted on 8/27/16 at 7:18 pm to PatDyesPants
quote:
The problem the only way these probes will ever slow down from that speed is if they hit something
Those planets should have not been in the left lane.
Posted on 8/27/16 at 7:35 pm to Lsuchs
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Posted on 8/27/16 at 7:41 pm to PatDyesPants
Wouldn't most planets's atmospheric pressure crush the probe before impact? I know NASA has used both Saturn and Jupiter's atmospheres to dispose of crap we were done using.
Posted on 8/27/16 at 7:41 pm to PatDyesPants
quote:
Possibly, however that energy will go somewhere in the form of heat at least.
Heat energy equivalent of 50 atomic bombs added to an atmosphere basically all at once?
I don't think you quite have a grasp of the physics involved here.
Posted on 8/27/16 at 8:33 pm to PatDyesPants
Space is pretty fricking big and even if a section of it looks crowded, there is still a lot of space between individual objects. The odds of a random collision are, shall we say......astronomical.
Posted on 8/27/16 at 8:43 pm to PatDyesPants
When it comes to space, Issac Newton is the most deadly mother F-er around
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