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As Rosetta's comet approached its most active period last year, the spacecraft spotted carbon dioxide ice – never before seen on a comet – followed by the emergence of two unusually large patches of water ice.
The carbon dioxide ice layer covered an area comparable to the size of a football pitch, while the two water ice patches were each larger than an Olympic swimming pool and much larger than any signs of water ice previously spotted at the comet.
The three icy layers were all found in the same region, on the comet's southern hemisphere.
Is the Earth picking up CO2 and water vapor from the comet, or is the comet picking up CO2 and water vapor from the Earth?
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Cum tacent, clamant. When they are silent, they shout. -Cicero
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday November 20 2016, @09:33PM
I think Ed was being sarcastic. It kinda looks like sarcasm font, doesn't it?
What is actually happening is, that comet will pass through the water vapor barrior out near the edege of the solar system to replenish the water lost to the sun. Then it will pass through the CO2 vapor barrier where more CO2 will be deposited on top of the water vapor ice. And, finally, that comet will swing back again, deep inside the solar system, where the water and the CO2 will both boil away. In a few trillion years, all the water and CO2 vapor out at the edges will be carried sunward, and evaporated. At THAT TIME, we'll start recieveing the communication transmissions from the rest of the galaxy that are being blocked right now.
No, seriously, I"m not being sarcastic!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2016, @09:48PM
And let the alien immigrant aliens into our solar system??
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday November 20 2016, @10:21PM
We saw how that worked out in Heavy Metal, the movie. Just take a look at the UN building, FFS.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2016, @10:25PM
Good thing Trump doesn't believe in global warming. Even Mexico couldn't afford to build a wall way out there past the Sun.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @08:59AM
It's called a "Dyson Sphere", already trademarked, so no doubt the Donaldtm is not interested. Oh, and it does not include any vapor barriers. Runaway was thinking Tyvek housewrap.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday November 20 2016, @10:32PM
Wait, WTF? I've never heard of a goddamn water vapor barrier in the solar system.
All the comets, TNOs/KBOs, and solar system's moons seem to have a lot of water. Some of these objects are primarily water ice, explaining their lower density/mass. And if it gets close to the sun, like the comet has, some of it will probably creep to the surface.
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(Score: 3, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Sunday November 20 2016, @10:44PM
Ahhhh, man, you just gotta think about it. Those comets have been circulating for a few billion years, right? Every time they swing by the sun, they boil off water and other volatiles. So, how come they still have water? Obviously, they are getting it from somewhere, or they would be dried out rocks by now. No, they certainly don't scoop the water up from the planets, cause they would burn up as they pass through the atmosphere.
It's obvious man! There's a water vapor barrier out there, where the comets replenish their lost liquids!!
I need to send a paper in. Scientists everywhere will bang their heads for having missed the obvious. Except for Stephen Hawking - banging his head would probably be fatal.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Sunday November 20 2016, @11:45PM
I need to send a paper in.
Funniest Runaway comment, ever!!! Ha ha ha!!!!! Uh, you're not serious, are you?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday November 21 2016, @04:36AM
I've got my cereal suit on.