Well here we go again:(

[LJF]

Here's another ting i think. Its about the oort cloud.(or belt or what ever its called)

What do u guys think the oort cloud is. I have two theories. Ones is that is matter becoming part of a new planet. Second(and the one i think most) I think that is remains of an old planet/planets.

[Radar]

The Oort cloud is made of chunks of rock and ice. These were the building materials for planets billions of years ago. The material that didn't get used to form planets was thrown out to the outer reaches of the solar system once our star began it's nuclear furnace. The shockwave pushed small debris to the outer reaches of our solar system.

Comets are beleived to come from the Oort cloud.

Cheers

Ray

[LJF]

Well if they were at one time plant building materials, couldn't, in thereoy, they be forming another plant. You have to remamber, it takes billions of years to form a planet, and how lo0ng have we known about the ort cloud, like 30 years or something like that?

[Radar]

I don't think they are densely packed enough to form planets anymore. Each object in the Oort cloud would have a small gravitational pull, but that gravity in these objects is just too weak to pull other objects in the Oort cloud together for planet formation, so the Oort cloud just sits out there in space doing nothing. But given the right conditions (many Oort cloud objects grouping together) a planet could form, theorectically speaking.

It will be interesting when a space craft is sent to the Oort cloud to show us what's really there.

Ray

[gyro]

It will be interesting when a space craft is sent to the Oort cloud to show us what's really there.

Both Voyagers are heading that way but I don't know what instruments they have to survey the Oort region.

Maybe some bright young thing could do the math on when the Voyagers will enter the region, always assuming it is actually there.

[CanisMajorTom]

be a while before they get to the oort cloud though. but would be brilliant if images got sent back.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_program

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Voyager_1_entering_heliosheath_region.jpg/800px-Voyager_1_entering_heliosheath_region.jpg


http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/images/ZankSolarSystem-big.jpg

[gyro]

Tom, Do you have a site address/link for the second pic' (scale diagram). It looks like a very good ref' soarce for the topic.

Cheers.

[Radar]

I didn't realise the Oort cloud was so far out. Those little spaceships have travelled quite far.

Ray

[Tenacious Del]

those pictures really put things in perspective.

[CanisMajorTom]

Here is the link to the second image

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/didyouknow.html


But there is a more definitive and unambiguous frontier, which the Voyagers will approach and pass through. This is the heliopause, which is the boundary area between the solar and the interstellar wind. When Voyager 1 crosses the solar wind termination shock, it will have entered into the heliosheath, the turbulent region leading up to the heliopause. When the Voyagers cross the heliopause, hopefully while the spacecraft are still able to send science data to Earth, they will be in interstellar space even though they will still be a very long way from the “edge of the solar system”. Once Voyager is in interstellar space, it will be immersed in matter that came from explosions of nearby stars. So, in a sense, one could consider the heliopause as the final frontier.



amazing little space craft.

[gyro]

Thanks for finding the link Tom.

I am still hoping that a bright young thing (read LJF) will do the math on when Voyager(s) will reach the Oort cloud. :hmm:

[AstroBob]

very interesting thread this guys. thanks for posting.

[LJF]

sorry gyro i cant find enought info.

i need the speed its traveling at. where its at(fom earth or how far from whatever planet will do). and aproxamatley how far away the oort cloud is.

if anyone can get me this stuff i might be able to figure it out.:smile:

[gyro]

sorry gyro i cant find enought info.

i need the speed its traveling at. where its at(fom earth or how far from whatever planet will do). and aproxamatley how far away the oort cloud is.

if anyone can get me this stuff i might be able to figure it out.:smile:

Use the NASA site for 'Voyager I' upto-date mission information and from Tom's earlier pic' you can gauge the distance to the inner edge of the Oort cloud. Watch out for the units. !!!

[Tenacious Del]

so what causes interstellar wind?

[LJF]

hey ten do you mind. I not trying to yell at you here. I already think that this is going to be a decent sized forum here without starting another discussion inside of it. Im sure we'd all be happy to reply to your question, just please start a new thread.

[gyro]

hey ten do you mind. I not trying to yell at you here. I already think that this is going to be a decent sized forum here without starting another discussion inside of it. Im sure we'd all be happy to reply to your question, just please start a new thread.

Hi LJF, The Interstellar Wind is relavent to the area from the Heliosphere to beyond the Oort cloud topic.....we just need you to tell us when Voyager 1 will get there. Ignore the headwind :wink: :wink: