The Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered a band of dust around Eta Corvi that looks like the remains of a smashed comet. The Eta Corvi system is about one billion years old, suggested it may be going through something the inner planets endured during the Solar System's early years called the "Late Heavy Bombardment". During the LHB the Earth, Moon and other misfortunates were continuously and violently beaten and scarred by asteroids and probably comets too. Mercury's Caloris Basin is an awesome reminder of this period.
Infrared observations do reveal a disk of matter around Eta Corvi.
Corvus the Crow borders Virgo, Crater and Hydra; it rises its highest in the Baton Rouge sky around the first week in May.
More Information:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitz ... 11019.html
http://www.daviddarling.info/encycloped ... dment.html
About Eta Corvi:
http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/etacrv.html
Late Heavy Bombardment in Eta Corvi System?
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Christopher K.
- Posts: 6251
- Joined: October 12th, 2009, 3:28 pm
- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
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Christopher K.
- Posts: 6251
- Joined: October 12th, 2009, 3:28 pm
- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Re: Late Heavy Bombardment in Eta Corvi System?
The title "Alien Zombie Comets" is certainly intriguing enough, and Tabby Boyajian is a good speaker. Tomorrow at 7pm she'll be at the Varsity Theatre, enthralling the crowd with a talk. It's a no-admission-fee event, but I think one has to be eighteen. Food can be brought in from the Chimes next door.
More information:
http://www.varsitytheatre.com/newevents ... omy-on-tap
About Dr. Boyajian:
https://www.lsu.edu/physics/people/faculty/boyajian.php
More information:
http://www.varsitytheatre.com/newevents ... omy-on-tap
About Dr. Boyajian:
https://www.lsu.edu/physics/people/faculty/boyajian.php