Comments on: Are we in danger from a rogue planet?

By: LogicalSkeptic

LogicalSkeptic — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 23:17:20 +0000

Why does it surprise you that using your formula you get a planet closer to us than the nearest star? I think that would have been simply logical. You took the number of stars, the volume of the galaxy, and calculated the perfectly even distribution to figure out the avg case… Many stars are mixed up with other stars close by, so on avg they are not ideally evenly spread throughought the galaxy. But using your math you basically calculated how close a star would be if they were, and got one pretty close to the same distance to us as the closest star (slightly closer makes sense then)

edit: I kept saying stars since you were using the number of stars as the basis for the number of rogue planets. I could have inserted rogue planets in at many places instead, hope I didnt confuse the comment

By: ‘Melancholia’ | cpb

‘Melancholia’ | cpb — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:37:22 +0000

[...] though, as Phil Plait at Bad Astronomy explains, a Melancholia scenario is highly unlikely. Space is big. Really, really big. And even giant [...]

By: [Ciencia] La (mala) ciencia detrás de Melancholia « Cuaderno de Ruta V.2

[Ciencia] La (mala) ciencia detrás de Melancholia « Cuaderno de Ruta V.2 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:05:37 +0000

[...] irrumpiera en nuestro sistema solar con un tino tal como para impactar contra nuestro planeta. Un articulillo bastante riguroso que he encontrado por ahí, nos cuenta que suponiendo que el número de planetas interestelares fuera igual al número de [...]

By: SoT 10: Bee Sceptical – Science On Top

SoT 10: Bee Sceptical – Science On Top — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 01:41:46 +0000

[...] Are we in danger from a rogue planet? [...]

By: dave lee

dave lee — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 18:33:22 +0000

lovely explanation but thats like saying only one car a year passes through a remote area of Arizona so you will never be in danger of collision with it, statistically this is correct, unless you happen to cross that one cars path at the wrong time………

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:19:00 +0000

Given your assumptions, it should not be surprising that you have calculated that a rogue planet could be found closer than the nearest star. First, you assumed a similar number of planets to stars; second, you assumed they were equally distributed in the volume. If these were true then you would expect the nearest rogue planet to be the same distance as the nearest star. However, that is not the case. The galaxy is more dense toward the middle and less dense (fewer stars/volume) out where where we are. So if you calculated equal distribution for planets and compared it with the actual distances where we were, it would be almost a certainty that the calculated nearest planet would be closer than the real nearest star. In reality, you would expect fewer rogue planets per volume the further out you would go in the galaxy, just like stars.

By: Ron

Ron — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:18:31 +0000

Ok. so you are quick to minimize the risk because the mass expanse of space and the mathematical probabilities, huh? Ok. So please explain why we can have near run in’s and even collisions with objects like the one in syberia or the much larger one that killed off the dinosaurs, many instantly? Do not speak in absolutes in science my friend, you will be proved wrong almost every time! ANYTHING, well almost, is possible if not probable over a 13 billion year period.

By: PLANETA DE FLOTACIÓN LIBRE – 2 « LA BOLSA DEL MERCADER

PLANETA DE FLOTACIÓN LIBRE – 2 « LA BOLSA DEL MERCADER — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 20:11:46 +0000

[...] http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/05/19/are-we-in-danger-from-a-rogue-planet/ [...]

By: Viel Spass beim Weltuntergang!

Viel Spass beim Weltuntergang! — Sat, 28 May 2011 10:06:23 +0000

[...] [...]

By: forrest noble

forrest noble — Tue, 24 May 2011 02:08:43 +0000

@michael Simmons,

” … is nobody actually reading other peoples posts.
read what “Timothy from Boulder” said.”

I agree that Timothy’s posting is a very informative and that you are correct, I did not read his posting before posting my own. I did discuss both rogue stars and rogue planets up to 75 Jupiter masses (smallest possible stars) in my posting however. My statements did not say how big or how close these object would need to be to raise havoc with our sun. On close approach generally meaning the inner solar system including an impact with the sun, I think there is no doubt in the case of impact with the sun of a body of 75 times the mass of Jupiter, that serious repercussions would result concerning the Earth. On closest approach within .1 angstrom units from the sun, the repercussions concerning the Earth would be open for conjecture.