Rocky fireball challenges theories about origins of our solar system
We really need to know what’s in the Oort Cloud and beyond
Last year, astronomers and stargazers captured images of a grapefruit-sized meteoroid that ‘fireball’ed over central Alberta.
Tracing back its journey, scientists were sure that it originated from the Oort cloud and was made up of ice.
Except that it was not and as it broke apart in the skies, the fireball dropped stony meteorites. This rare incident has now raised questions about the theories we have about the origins of our solar system, Phys.org reported.
The Oort cloud is a collection of icy objects sailing through space between our solar system and halfway to the nearest stars. Passing stars sometimes nudge these icy objects toward our Sun and astronomers have observed them as comets with long tails.
No human has actually looked at the objects that have come from the Oort Cloud directly but everything that has come that way has been made of ice. This has led us to theorize that Oort Cloud is made only of icy objects and nothing else.
Twist in the tale
The scientific theory was put into doubt last year when researchers at the University of Western Ontario captured images and videos of a fireball that was clearly rocky. The images were captured using state-of-the-art Global Fireball Observatory (GFO) cameras.
The meteor was rather a small weighing no more than 4.4 pounds (two kgs) and using the Global Meteor Network tools, the researchers found that the orbit it had followed was one seen with icy comets with long tails.
The Solar System context of an unusual fireball – YouTube
Tracing back its origins showed that the meteor undoubtedly came from the center of the Oort Cloud, even though all previous observations of rocky meteors had their origins much closer to our planet.
“In 70 years of regular fireball observations, this is one of the most peculiar ever recorded,” said Hadrien Devillepoix, research associate at Curtin University, Australia, and the principal investigator of the GFO in the press release.
Understanding the origins of the solar system
Comets are usually like snowballs mixed with dust that vaporize as they approach the Sun. The Alberta meteor, on the other hand, entered the Earth’s atmosphere and flew much deeper than what a comet would do. Finally, it broke into smaller stony meteorites giving us ample evidence that it was essentially made of rock.
This observation was made possible by a strategy GFO began using five years ago where they broadened their horizons to monitor nearly two million square miles (five million sq. km) of the skies while bringing together experts from around the globe.
Having captured a rare event, the researchers now intend to understand how the rocky meteoroid originated in the Oort Cloud and how it ended up so far away.
To do so, the researchers intend to paint the most accurate picture of the origins of our solar system and how we ended up here today.
The research observations were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Abstract
The Oort cloud is thought to be a reservoir of icy planetesimals and the source of long-period comets (LPCs) implanted from the outer Solar System during the time of giant-planet formation.
The abundance of rocky ice-free bodies is a key diagnostic of Solar System formation models as it can distinguish between ‘massive’ and ‘depleted’ proto-asteroid-belt scenarios and thus disentangle competing planet formation models.
Here we report a direct observation of a decimetre-sized (~2 kg) rocky meteoroid on a retrograde LPC orbit (eccentricity ~1.0, inclination 121°). During its flight, it fragmented at dynamic pressures similar to fireballs dropping ordinary chondrite meteorites.
A numerical ablation model fit produces bulk density and ablation properties also consistent with asteroidal meteoroids. We estimate the flux of rocky objects impacting Earth from the Oort cloud to be 1.08+2.81−0.951.08−0.95+2.81 meteoroids per 106 km2 yr−1 to a mass limit of 10 g.
This corresponds to an abundance of rocky meteoroids of ∼6+13−5∼6−5+13% of all objects originating in the Oort cloud and impacting Earth to these masses.
Our result gives support to migration-based dynamical models of the formation of the Solar System, which predict that significant rocky material is implanted in the Oort cloud, a result not explained by traditional Solar System formation models.
See more here interestingengineering.com
Header image: Edmonton.ctvnews.ca
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Tom
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Cool…a fireball named Rocky!
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Koen Vogel
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The more we discover, the more we discover how little we actually know. The articles I have read suggest Jupiter has been cleaning up the solar system since its formation, flinging some planetesimals towards the Sun and some towards the Kuiper Belt. Maybe a few planetesimals made it a bit further to the Oort Cloud? I would think this discovery makes thing easier: not only ice planetesimals were captured by the Oort Cloud during Jupiter’s formation, but a few were flung out there by Jupiter. Or further moved outwards by Neptune cleaning up its back yard. Or am I being simple?
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Jerry Krause
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Hi Koen,
“The more we discover, the more we discover how little we actually know.” My quote is: “The more I study, the more I learn, the more I know; that which I don’t know.”
Have a good day, Jerry
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Herb Rose
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The current theory of the origin of the solar system is baloney (to go with the green cheese moon).
According to it the solar system from a rotating disc of dust that condensed into the sun and planets. The heavy matter was condensed into the 4 inner planets and the asteroids while the light hydrogen and helium condensed into the sun and Jupiter
In order to have a rotating disc of dust condense there must be an attractive force at the center of the disc, something like a sun.
If the sun is ignited by gravity, wouldn’t all the suns be ignited when the dust reached a certain concentration and then blow the remaining dust away with solar winds? Shouldn’t all the suns in the universe be of similar size when created then shrink as they convert matter into energy?
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JaKo
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You’re right, Herb;
Rotating disk of whatever — where did that came from and, if plentiful, not being interfered with other disks of more whatever and how could this “dust and hydrogen” selectively coalesce into some planets and Jupiter and Sun?
OTOH, ‘let it be light’ ~ makes more sense, while it may include the very local Sun ignition.
Why aren’t humans capable of understanding their own (fundamental/default) limitations in understanding the very basics of existence?
We’re so eager to embrace any flattering “theory” — as in being created to an image or being in the center of the universe (including the “big bang” and expanding universe BS), yet when asked a simple question about the HOW, never mind WHY, we just brush it off with denigratory comments about the person who asks these elementary questions.
I like the Koen’s and Jerry’s version of “All I know is that I know nothing.” While I like better the more personal and critical version: “You know nothing, Jon Snow.” (tGOT)
OK, let’s enjoy the ride we’re about to experience — taking that too seriously would mean endless trips for more antidepressants…
Cheers, JaKo
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Jerry Krause
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Hi JaKo and Herb,
Have either one of you seen a comet tail or a jet airplanes contrail? Newton and his fellow astronomers of his time observed (measured) the comet tails of two comets which rapidly.swung around the sun. Because they could not see these comets heads with their tails as they approached the sun and left the sun they questioned if the coming and going tails were of the same comet or if they were due to two different comments.
For various reasons which one can read about in Book III of The Pincipia, Newton and Dr. Halley concluded the coming and going tails were of the same comet.
I ask you both what is the composition of the comet tails and the jet airplanes which allow us to observe them? My answer for the comet tails is condensed water drops and dust particles for the tails and only liquid water droplets saturated with carbon dioxide molecules plus reaction products formed when a molecule of carbon dioxide (CO2) reacts with a molecule of water (H2O) to form the molecule of carbonic acid (H2CO3) in the water solution of the water droplet.
Would like to read any comments about this comment.
Have a good day, Jerry
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Herb Rose
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Hi Jako and Jerry,
My guess for the creation of the solar system is that the sun started out as pure matter, neutrons held together by the electric force. Energy was attracted to the positive charge being radiated by this matter and being a stronger force, displaced electrons. At first this process smoldered producing hydrogen and helium (just as a neutron will split creating a hydrogen atom) creating the “dust” cloud, then as more energy was attracted to the matter mining it. It then ignited and larger chunks (elements) were then produced. These larger chunks were then further refined (why the corona is hotter than the surface of the sun) until a ball of matter (nucleus) was formed where the surface consisted of protons stopping further penetration by energy. (This is why certain atoms are radioactive.They have to few or to many electrons in the nucleus. Isn’t it odd that a nucleus will emit a clump of matter (alpha particle) containing an internal repelling force but not a clump of neutrons where there is no internal repelling force?). When enough of these larger elements form it interferes with the “burning” of the star and the sun explodes as a nova, throwing this ash into space, where it condenses into planets, moons, asteroids, and other objects creating the solar system. The explosion will cause a separation of the matter with the lighter elements being thrown (including hydrogen and helium) further out into space. This debris will condense into piles due to the attractive nature of the energy force. The piles will continue to grow (solar winds) as the sun continues to process matter into atoms but when the heavy trash again becomes to dense the sun will again explode, shrinking as new piles are created and the older piles grow larger as new matter covers the heavier (and more radioactive) core.
Comets are made of heavy elements (shown when the Shoemaker-Levy fragments impacted Jupiter) that have an elongated elliptical orbit. As they travel they encounter different levels of energy (gravitational field). This causes their energy field to expand and contract as they travel around the sun. In the outer solar system their gravitational field expands and they collect the lighter ashes that have been thrown deeper into the solar system. They are gaining mass as they move away from the sun. Then as they travel back towards the sun they gain energy which then vaporizes the collected lighter elements forming a tail. The composition of the tail changes as the energy increases vaporizing different compounds. In the energy level where the Earth orbits, the tail is composed of water but as the comet gets closer to the sun it will be composed of heavier compounds that are being vaporized. A comet gathers energy from the sun and matter from the outer solar system mixing the solar system until it eventually collides with an existing trash pile and becomes part of it.
Airplanes contrails (Jet or internal combustion engines) are made of water produced by the oxidation of hydrocarbons that condenses due to cooling (not dust) on leaving the engine.
Herb
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Jerry Krause
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Hi Herb,
Why do you ignore what is written in Genesis 1 of The Holy Bible (the oldest book written by men)? Why do you ignore what is seen by the space telescopes of modern humans? Why do you ignore that very small particles (whether droplets of liquid water, particles of ice, particles of mineral dust) SCATTER (the correct phenomenon) the shorter wave lengths of radiation? Which are being emitted by the surfaces (must be liquids or solids) of matter according to the temperatures of these surfaces.
Why do you ignore my questions about comet tails and jet air plane contrails? For what we (unless blind) all see is evidence that water molecules condense to liquid or solid particles in even the very, very low density of the space atmosphere.
Have a good day, Jerry
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Saighdear
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I LIsten , & read ( but not enough time for ALL of it. Anyroad, SUpposing we all came from the same Dot, Big Bang, then why are some of the fireballs coming from opposing directions ? and whichever, then are WE catching up with them, OR are THEY catching up with us. If so, then WHY = HOW ?
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T. C. Clark
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Did Jupiter kick a giant gas planet out of the solar system 4 billion years ago? A recent paper from the University of Toronto suggests it could have happened….don’t mess with Jupiter. Galaxy collisions no doubt result in a few planets….moons….even stars and black holes being ejected into outer space…..the odds are no doubt very small but a random one of these could hit our solar system.
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Jerry Krause
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Hi PSI Readers,
I read that “Ameya is a science writer based in Hyderabad, India.” The I of PSI is international and since Galileo founded observational philosophy (SCIENCE), science writing has been by authors from many nations of their times.
I read: “Louis A. Frank, a retired University of Iowa scientist who believed small comets made of ice and water crashed into the Earth to create the planet’s lakes, rivers and oceans, died Friday. He was 75.” (2014). I ask: How is it I have not read, here at PSI, about Frank’s very controversial observations and his explanation of them. Which caused him to be shunned “shun | SHən verb (shuns, shunning, shunned) [with object] persistently avoid, ignore, or reject (someone or something) through antipathy or caution” by his scientific colleagues? It seems few, here at PSI (nobody?), have done a good literature search.
Have a good day, Jerry
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Brian James
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Sep 7, 2022 James Webb Telescope FINALLY Proves The Big Bang Theory Is Wrong!
The James Webb Space Telescope was eagerly awaited before its launch last year! However, now that the most powerful and most expensive ever telescope is in operation, the JWST is threatening to turn astronomy upside down with a single finding! The latest pictures from the JWST have proven the Big Bang theory did not happen, sending the scientific community into a frenzy! What are these latest pictures from JWST?
https://youtu.be/GyHxeJKjMP8
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Robert Beatty
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See page 52+ at http://www.bosmin.com/PSL/PlanetsSatellitesLandforms.pdf showing my opinion of how the stages of satellite formation occurred at Jupiter. The Oort Cloud formed in stage 5 of the launch sequence. As the ejectile plume from Jupiter passes back towards the Sun, projectiles delivered in this rotational phase point towards the Sun as shown in https://www.bosmin.com/PSL/Figure20.5JupiterStage5.jpg
The Oort Cloud is seen as mostly spherical, it apparently has a different origin to other objects populating the Solar System ellipsoid plane Figure 20.5 illustrates a possible mechanism capable of forming a distant spherical cloud. Many objects ejected from Jupiter towards the Sun in a 3D spray pattern would combine with the Sun, while some would miss the Sun’s edge and gain a gravitational sling shot advantage capable of placing them into a high spherical orbit. Objects in the Oort Cloud could include comets and meteors which have orbits consistent with Oort Cloud origins. Launch speed from Jupiter could be in excess of 71.8 km/s. This would imply orbiting speeds at the Oort Cloud are in the order of 7.5 mps, and given that a gravity assist component could compensate for the energy efficiency loss incurred in launching Jupiter based objects to the Oort Cloud.
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