Established Member
On this weeks episode of Enterprise, they set off a charge on the surface of a comet which was described as being 82 kilometres across.
The blast is shown from a distance, and after rising about 30 feet all the debris comes back to the ground just as it would on earth.
I'm quite sure that on an actual comet the debris would have simply blasted into space with very little of it settling back onto the comet.
Vulcan Administrator
I missed this episode, but I recall that in the highlights members of the Enterprise crew were walking casually on the surface of the comet and not bouncing high (in the air, I nearly continued, committing some BA of my own [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] ) as they should be with the low gravity.
Order of Kilopi
No you didn't. It's on tonight. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]I missed this episode
Vulcan Administrator
Well, then, what are people doing providing spoilers? There should be a warning on this thread! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]On 2001-11-07 11:16, The Bad Astronomer wrote:
No you didn't. It's on tonight. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]I missed this episode
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ToSeek on 2001-11-07 14:26 ]</font>
Established Member
In Canada (Toronto) this episode was on Tuesday night this week.
Member
I was wondering how easy it would be able to make a snowman with a comet?
Order of Kilopi
OK, just saw the episode...
Yes, the OP is quite correct. Not only did the explosion act as if it was in high gravity, but it billowed as if it occurred in a dense atmosphere instead of the rarified coma of a comet.
In fact, every scene on the comet was shot as if its gravity was comparable to Earth's. An astronaut fell two meters and injured his knee. A spacecraft slid 20 meters down a hole and couldn't get out. Pretty good for a 50-mile wide snowball. Maybe it was a particularly "attractive" one...
The thing that annoyed me most is the way they seemed to just stumble across this comet somewhere out in deep space. No mention of the fact that they were exploring a solar system or something (although later there was a reference to the local star -- when it was needed as a plot device).
This sort of thing seems to happen frequently in the Trek universe... there's always a handy nebula or comet around.
Ah well, it's not called "Astrophysics Trek", is it?
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Donnie B. on 2001-11-07 19:43 ]</font>
Member
...everything Donnie just said, and 2 other things:
Anybody else hear the explosion when they detonated the charge on the comet?
When they first stumble across the comet (in deep space), why does it have a tail?
Member
Also, to my knowledge, the actual nucleus of the comet, the actual ice and dust, is miniscule in size when compared to the size of the coma and tail. I'm wondering if the tail would even be visible at that distance. Like a nebula, you can't see it unless you are a good distance away. Just some thoughts.
Vulcan Administrator
I was all set to post everything that Donnie said. All these assumptions of Earth-normal gravity, ineradicable since the plot (such as it was) depended on it. Well, maybe there was a black hole inside the comet or something.... [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]On 2001-11-07 19:43, Donnie B. wrote:
OK, just saw the episode...
In fact, every scene on the comet was shot as if its gravity was comparable to Earth's. An astronaut fell two meters and injured his knee. A spacecraft slid 20 meters down a hole and couldn't get out. Pretty good for a 50-mile wide snowball. Maybe it was a particularly "attractive" one...
Order of Kilopi
My theory is, the comet just sucked.On 2001-11-08 09:10, ToSeek wrote:
I was all set to post everything that Donnie said. All these assumptions of Earth-normal gravity, ineradicable since the plot (such as it was) depended on it. Well, maybe there was a black hole inside the comet or something.... [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]On 2001-11-07 19:43, Donnie B. wrote:
OK, just saw the episode...
In fact, every scene on the comet was shot as if its gravity was comparable to Earth's. An astronaut fell two meters and injured his knee. A spacecraft slid 20 meters down a hole and couldn't get out. Pretty good for a 50-mile wide snowball. Maybe it was a particularly "attractive" one...
Order of Kilopi
Well, if we are to assume that this comet was similar to the things we call comets, it wasn't in deep space, it was part of a stellar system. Given that, it might have been somewhere near perogee, therefore outgassing and "tailed". Of course the odds of that would be low... but then, if it weren't, they probably wouldn't have spotted it.On 2001-11-07 21:07, Zandermann wrote:
When they first stumble across the comet (in deep space), why does it have a tail?
The objection that the nucleus should have been much smaller compared to the coma is valid, though. Chalk that one up to dramatic license, I guess.
One other thing I just realized: just how useful would a core sample just a meter long be? All that effort and what did they get? A core as long as your leg! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
Member
I was thinking the same thing myself. When the injured crewman said "At least get the sample. We shouldn't go back empty handed." I am expected to see a 6 meter segment or at least a bunch of smaller segments on a hand(hover)truck.On 2001-11-08 14:37, Donnie B. wrote:
One other thing I just realized: just how useful would a core sample just a meter long be? All that effort and what did they get? A core as long as your leg! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
I was a bit taken back that they didn't see "the largest known comet of mankind" a bit sooner. It seemed like "Hey whats that thing moving off starboard. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] By Golly! it might be a comet let's get a closer look." [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
Hauteden
Member
I can't believe this hasn't been said yet, but this weeks show was awful. It was seemingly based on a certain movie that probably shouldn't be mentioned here. God knows why they did that. Other than that, it did nothing but drag out the vulcan/human differences again. I just kept waiting for them to say that the comet was headed for an inhabited planet. At least they didn't do that.
_________________
Mongo like candy!
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: MongotheGreat on 2001-11-09 01:49 ]</font>
Order of Kilopi
Heheheh...
Well, Mongo, I guess the rest of us were kind of dancing around the real issue, weren't we?
It's clear that the Vulcan/Human tensions are going to be a major theme of this series. We should probably brace ourselves for more of the same.
And remember -- not every episode can be this series' equivalent of "City On the Edge Of Forever"... [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
--
"Vulcans aren't very interested in comets."
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Donnie B. on 2001-11-09 07:24 ]</font>
Order of Kilopi
Yeah, but every time that Vulcan Captain was on, I kept expecting Maltz from Star Trek III to show up and say, "Phil, what are you doing?"
(Now that's an esoteric inside joke -- wonder who'll get it?)
Newbie
Slightly of subject here, but isn't there a "Iceteroid" in system almost 180 km in diameter? Or do Iceteroids not count as Comets?
IIRC, the name of the 'troid was "Chiron"
Newbie
Nahhh, a sphere of neutronium would probably do it. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]On 2001-11-08 09:10, ToSeek wrote:
Well, maybe there was a black hole inside the comet or something....
Well, maybe the container held a lot of very skinny core samples ...?Hauteden wrote:
I was thinking the same thing myself. When the injured crewman said "At least get the sample. We shouldn't go back empty handed." I am expected to see a 6 meter segment or at least a bunch of smaller segments on a hand(hover)truck.
Established Member
Orbitting between Saturn and Uranus, Comet 95P/Chiron or minor planet (2060) Chiron, does indeed exist. The IAU seem to think it's a comet and it's an asteroid.Slightly of subject here, but isn't there a "Iceteroid" in system almost 180 km in diameter? Or do Iceteroids not count as Comets?
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/chiron.html
edit: fixed UBB code.
_________________
"We want a few mad people now. See where the sane ones have landed us!" - George Bernard Shaw
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Hat Monster on 2001-11-20 13:47 ]</font>
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote