PV Gap

Vera Said:

Did shoe maker Levy change the way astronomers think about comets or the solar system?

We Answered:

Here's a list of publications that came out after S-L 9 -
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/sl9/summary.htm…

You may want to read up on the team members that discovered the comet. Gene Shoemaker was lead geologist for the Apollo project and proved that craters found on the moon, earth and other planets were indeed the result of impacts, not by volcanic or other means.
http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/About/Peopl…

David Levy has so far discovered 22 comets, either by himself or in partnership with others.
http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/About/Peopl…

Carolyn Shoemaker (Gene's wife) is an incredible person in her own right. Not only a gifted astronomer, but a talented researcher too.
http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/About/Peopl…

Agnes Said:

Is there more mass in the planets or the asteroids and comets in our solar system?

We Answered:

I dispute the first answer.

Jupiter is by far the largest planet and is 1.9 x 10^27 Kgs mass.

All the other planets together do not add up to the above, so the total for all planets is going to be about 3 x 10^27 Kgs, which is 1000 times less than Gary Seven’s answer.

Without going into big calculations, I would say asteroids and comets are just very minor debris. When you talk volumes, you have to remember that a body 10 kms wide is a BILLION times smaller than a body 10,000 kms wide.

To get things in perspective, the Sun is ALL – the rest of the Solar System is debris. The sun is 2 x 10^30 Kgs, and very nearly 1000 times the mass of everything else added together.

I think you should seriously check things on Wikipedia or Google before quoting Gary Seven’s answers.

Carole Said:

How do asteroids, meteors and comets affect the solar system and earth?

We Answered:

Gravity, it effects our orbit direction in the Solar System. Impact is also another thing that can effect Earth on a large scale.

Brett Said:

What percentage of asteroids or comets have been discovered in the solar system?

We Answered:

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking here. New comets and asteroids are discovered on almost a daily basis. If you're asking a percentage relative to all the comets and asteroids which exist in the solar system, that's impossible to answer, as we have no idea of what the totals may be.

Reginald Said:

How many comets are in the solar system?

We Answered:

the oort cloud is not known to exist; it is a quite likely explanation for the amount of comets in the solar system but not even one single object has been confirmed to be in the oort cloud

Pamela Said:

If comets are remnants from solar system formation, then was water prevalent in our then region of timespace?

We Answered:

Yes,

It's only natural that Hydrogen and oxygen should combine to produce water. Moreover, complex carbon compounds including sugars have also been found in supernova remnants.