tinfoilhat Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 If there's a fleck of paint in intersolar space then it's proof of intelligent life beyond earth. What about a bit of rock? I have a vague memory of watching a programme on interstellar travel where they wondered if a solar sail would work. The answer was no it wouldn't because tiny bits of asteroid would damage stuff. ---------- Post added 25-08-2016 at 12:39 ---------- We never learned the dimensions of your base so we couldn't determine the Centre of Gravity of your system to make the calculation First 3 posts of the first page ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 From what we know intersolar space is largely clear of any physical material. If I remember my A level physics correctly. The solar system is much busier and yet still almost entirely empty, AFAIK we've never had a probe beyond earth orbit that has hit anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightrider Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 I think it's matter into energy and all that. But like I said I'm no scientist. I just know what I read in my regular magazine subscriptions, and tend to believe that over 'lies to children' that are commonly taught in schools and are never unlearned unless you go on to study degree level science. ---------- Post added 25-08-2016 at 12:38 ---------- And the space dust is coming from...? It's interstellar space. Beyond a solar system that has amassed out of such dust. As far as scientists are aware there isn't much of that. just a few atoms , particles and ions distributed through the interstellar medium. First hit on google explains the studies already done on this topic: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2102267-interstellar-probes-will-be-eroded-on-the-way-to-alpha-centauri/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santo Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Atoms mate - I am clearly responding to Cyclone who knows what I'm talking about. Ah ok sorry. Have a read about the Oh My God particles that have been detected. These are probably protons and struck detectors on earth with as much momentum as a baseball travelling at about 60mph. A proton has a rest mass of 1.67E-27 kg. ---------- Post added 25-08-2016 at 12:44 ---------- From what we know intersolar space is largely clear of any physical material. If I remember my A level physics correctly. The solar system is much busier and yet still almost entirely empty, AFAIK we've never had a probe beyond earth orbit that has hit anything. Yeah, maybe not a comet or large rock.. ---------- Post added 25-08-2016 at 12:44 ---------- What about a bit of rock? I have a vague memory of watching a programme on interstellar travel where they wondered if a solar sail would work. The answer was no it wouldn't because tiny bits of asteroid would damage stuff. ---------- Post added 25-08-2016 at 12:39 ---------- First 3 posts of the first page ! You only gave the mass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DnAuK Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 First hit on google explains the studies already done on this topic: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2102267-interstellar-probes-will-be-eroded-on-the-way-to-alpha-centauri/ Yes I read that. I also posted a link to alternative views. https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-mathematical-odds-that-a-spaceship-travelling-near-light-speed-will-crash-into-a-planet-small-asteroid-or-other-space-debris-if-it-travels-in-a-straight-path-for-10-years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santo Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 I think it's matter into energy and all that. But like I said I'm no scientist. I just know what I read in my regular magazine subscriptions, and tend to believe that over 'lies to children' that are commonly taught in schools and are never unlearned unless you go on to study degree level science. ---------- Post added 25-08-2016 at 12:38 ---------- And the space dust is coming from...? It's interstellar space. Beyond a solar system that has amassed out of such dust. As far as scientists are aware there isn't much of that. just a few atoms , particles and ions distributed through the interstellar medium. https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-mathematical-odds-that-a-spaceship-travelling-near-light-speed-will-crash-into-a-planet-small-asteroid-or-other-space-debris-if-it-travels-in-a-straight-path-for-10-years The Solar system is dusty. Any probe would need to leave the Solar system before it gets to Proxima B...no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biotechpete Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 The Solar system is dusty. Any probe would need to leave the Solar system before it gets to Proxima B...no? It wouldn't have to be travelling though the solar system at the same speed though presumably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 It wouldn't have to be travelling though the solar system at the same speed though presumably. It would probably be accelerating for at least half the journey, if not all of it. So the speed when it left the solar system would still be relatively modest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santo Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 It wouldn't have to be travelling though the solar system at the same speed though presumably. No, but to get to Proxima B it would need to be travelling faster than Voyager. Which, I think, is still within our Solar System? A piece of dust is small but absolutely massive compared to a proton. A collision at the sort of speeds this probe would need to travel at and a piece of dust would be catastrophic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Just reading this http://arstechnica.co.uk/science/2016/08/could-breakthrough-starshots-ships-survive-the-trip/ About the challenge of dust/gas/atoms interstellar space. The chance of hitting something large enough to destroy the craft outright is apparently 1/10^50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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