Hello2 Posted September 11, 2020 Share Posted September 11, 2020 Earth has an atmosphere that prevents particles to reach Earth’s surface, and the Sun has an atmosphere that prevents particles from the universe to reach the Earth. Or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiot Posted September 11, 2020 Share Posted September 11, 2020 1 hour ago, Hello2 said: Earth has an atmosphere that prevents particles to reach Earth’s surface, Yes but even more Earth has an atmosphere that prevents most dangerous particles to reach Earth’s surface, 1 hour ago, Hello2 said: and the Sun has an atmosphere that prevents particles from the universe to reach the Earth. Not sure about this one. What particles from the universe would they be ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joigus Posted September 11, 2020 Share Posted September 11, 2020 26 minutes ago, studiot said: What particles from the universe would they be ? A good question is worth somewhere between 5 and 10 good answers. I think this is a good question. In my next-to-blank-slate mind, the Sun's magnetosphere could potentially protect us from supernova radiation, when the time comes. As the situation stands, the most potentially harmful radiation that we get comes precisely from the Sun. But it's not inconceivable to me that its magnetosphere could act as a screen for us. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bufofrog Posted September 11, 2020 Share Posted September 11, 2020 2 hours ago, Hello2 said: Sun has an atmosphere that prevents particles from the universe to reach the Earth. Are you asking if the sun's atmosphere protects the earth from cosmic radiation (radiation not from the sun)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumbo Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 The solar wind blows away asteroids and comets that may have otherwise impacted the Earth. -1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 5 hours ago, drumbo said: The solar wind blows away asteroids and comets that may have otherwise impacted the Earth. Citation needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiot Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 The OP asked about 'particles' Not sure if comets and asteroids come into this category, and don't you mean meteoroids? Nor am I sure if any part of the Sun's atmousphere prevents sub atomic particles like neutrinos and others from the cosmic background reaching anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joigus Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 8 hours ago, drumbo said: The solar wind blows away asteroids and comets that may have otherwise impacted the Earth. Solar wind is mainly made up of protons, electrons and Helium nuclei from reactions in the Sun. How could that spray of particles essentially modify the orbit of an asteroid/meteorite/comet? And if it did, why would it favour a miss instead of a collision or any other range of impact parameters? Magnetospheres shield against ion rain because they drive them into localised aurorae, but ion rains carry no considerable momentum as compared to asteroids careening towards the centre of the Solar System from the Kuiper belt (mainly driven by Jupiter and Saturn perturbations and asteroid-asteroid impacts). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumbo Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 2 hours ago, joigus said: Solar wind is mainly made up of protons, electrons and Helium nuclei from reactions in the Sun. How could that spray of particles essentially modify the orbit of an asteroid/meteorite/comet? Protons and helium nuclei have mass which means they can impart momentum just like air molecules can impart momentum despite their small size: 2 hours ago, joigus said: And if it did, why would it favour a miss instead of a collision or any other range of impact parameters? The solar wind radiates a current past the Earth and towards the asteroid and Kuiper belts which slows down objects originating from those belts and ultimately blows them away: -2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimreepr Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 13 minutes ago, drumbo said: Protons and helium nuclei have mass which means they can impart momentum just like air molecules can impart momentum despite their small size: The solar wind radiates a current past the Earth and towards the asteroid and Kuiper belts which slows down objects originating from those belts and ultimately blows them away: Imagine that, I'm blown away... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Cuthber Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 Well... there's this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliosphere#Heliopause which is sort of 23 hours ago, Hello2 said: an atmosphere that prevents particles from the universe to reach the Earth. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joigus Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 2 hours ago, drumbo said: Typical speed of an asteroid when it reaches the inner Solar System ~ 100,000 miles/hour Typical mass of an asteroid ~ 1021 Kg Now take the solar wind momentum flux at Earth's distance by using the inverse-square law for flux and multiply by the cross section of a typical asteroid and tell me what we're talking about. Solar wind is nothing in terms of momentum transfer against an asteroid or comet. It's in terms of ionization that does all its damage. I'm too lazy to do the calculation, sorry. And again: 4 hours ago, joigus said: And if it did, why would it favour a miss instead of a collision or any other range of impact parameters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area54 Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 3 hours ago, joigus said: And if it did, why would it favour a miss instead of a collision or any other range of impact parameters? I suspect @drumbo has overlooked the fact that some asteroids and comets can pass within the orbit of the Earth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joigus Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 24 minutes ago, Area54 said: I suspect @drumbo has overlooked the fact that some asteroids and comets can pass within the orbit of the Earth. It seems one of the things he's overlooked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sensei Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 11 hours ago, joigus said: Typical mass of an asteroid ~ 1021 Kg 10^21 kg mass has Ceres, which is 1/3 of the all asteroids in the entire Solar System.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid#Size_distribution 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joigus Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Sensei said: 10^21 kg mass has Ceres, which is 1/3 of the all asteroids in the entire Solar System.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid#Size_distribution Yes, you're right. I should have noticed. ~10²¹ is the mass of the whole inner belt, that between Mars and Jupiter. The other 2/3 must be the Kuiper. I practically copied and pasted the data. Apologies. Thanks for the correction. +1 Itokawa, a quite small one, is 3.5x10^10 kg The argument persists, I think. Edit: Well, Itokawa is a relatively big one taking into account the enormous number of objects. I think it's more significant to take a relatively big one, in the spirit of what @drumbo was trying to argue. Edited September 13, 2020 by joigus Addition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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