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Evidence For 200-Year-Old Comet Impact On Neptune

Posted by kdawson on from the cold-case-file dept.

astroengine writes "Astronomers using ESA's Herschel space observatory have spotted evidence of a cometary impact in Neptune's upper atmosphere (publication, PDF). Whereas impact craters on rocky planetary bodies can remain for billions of years, an impact in the dynamic atmospheres of gas giants aren't obvious, especially if long periods of time have elapsed. This ultimate 'cold case' tracked the unusual distribution of carbon monoxide in Neptune's stratosphere, a sure sign it was deposited there by an external source. Once they realized they were looking at a comet impact, researchers were able to deduce when the impact occurred: 200 years ago."

6 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. Comet impact, that's nothing... by nebaz · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    On Earth ... 200 years ago ... I was a prince... with power over millions...

    Take that, comet!

    --
    Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds.There upon the rainbow is the answer to a neverending story
    1. Re:Comet impact, that's nothing... by kitsunewarlock · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Why is this modded informative?

      --
      Ginga no Rekshiya Mata Each page.
    2. Re:Comet impact, that's nothing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      It is the result of a misguided notion that it's worth altering tone of the post so that the person making the quote can earn a karma point.

    3. Re:Comet impact, that's nothing... by shadowbearer · · Score: -1, Offtopic

        Because some moderators don't know enough about what they are doing to mod it offtopic?

        Crap posts like the GP's and moderators that think they are relevant is why I've almost quit visiting this site anymore. The GP might have been trying to make a Funny, but it wasn't. Seriously, while it was a SF quote, it still had absolutely nothing to do with the subject. There are bots that do better.

        There are a lot of really intelligent, knowledgeable people who post on this site, but they are steadily being drowned out (and "moderated") by the same sorts of idiots who make other sites into shelters for ignorant, repetitive loudmouths.

        Don't care about karma, either, my karma has been "excellent" for many years no matter how my posts are moderated. It's a meaningless metric.

        I have better things to do. See ya.

      SB

       

      --
      It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
  2. Re:Barack Hussein Obama by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    even if they are, the real tea partiers embrace them so!

  3. Tea Party and Fox "News" Racists by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    That's funny, because I see coded racism every day on Fox "News", Rush Limbaugh, and all the other racist tea party heroes.

    Not every person at a tea party is a racist, but almost every tea party has a few racists in attendance.

    Some of them question Obama's birth certificate. Some rail against 'welfare queens'. Others just carry a gun, and let that do the talking. Some even claim that 'the other side', or the NAACP, by which they mean black folks are themselves racist. What did white southerners ever do to black people in America anyway??

    They all have a racist coded message that anyone who stops to think about it would easily understand.