Re: Zodiacal light linked to ancient Martian oceans

From: Abdul Ahad (aa_spaceagent_at_yahoo.co.uk)
Date: 06/02/04 

Date: 2 Jun 2004 10:48:05 -0700

henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer) wrote in message news:<Hynsn6.IqL@spsystems.net>...
> In article <3416b228.0406011240.5b8731cd@posting.google.com>,
> Abdul Ahad <aa_spaceagent@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> >The dust clouds thrown off Mars by meteorite impacts that created
> >basins like Hellas happened a very long time ago, possibly in the
> >early solar system when the environment was a lot more violent and
> >dynamic...
>
> Except that we know that dust particles in the inner solar system have a
> fairly short life by astronomical standards. The smallest ones get blown
> out by light pressure (which is not the solar wind, please note -- the
> solar wind is the plasma streaming outward, not the light), the bigger
> ones spiral down into the Sun because of Poynting-Robertson drag. Any
> particles blown off Hellas billions of years ago are long gone.
>
<snip>

On a slight change of topic (party pooper!)...

Henry,
How is the MOST mission performing as of late, and are we due any
science releases in the near future? A tiny suitcase sized
microsatellite, carrying a 15cm aperture telescope launched with some
highly aspirational stellar observation goals... I'm very intrigued.

Abdul Ahad

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Zodiacal light linked to ancient Martian oceans
    ... >>The dust clouds thrown off Mars by meteorite impacts that created ... > Except that we know that dust particles in the inner solar system have a ... > particles blown off Hellas billions of years ago are long gone. ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: Zodiacal light linked to ancient Martian oceans
    ... >>The dust clouds thrown off Mars by meteorite impacts that created ... > Except that we know that dust particles in the inner solar system have a ... > particles blown off Hellas billions of years ago are long gone. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
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