Dawn Survey Orbit Phase, First orbital phase |
Dawn Survey Orbit Phase, First orbital phase |
Jul 17 2011, 09:09 AM
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#1
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1729 Joined: 3-August 06 From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E Member No.: 1004 |
I think it's time we start a new thread
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Aug 6 2011, 08:19 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 214 Joined: 30-December 05 Member No.: 628 |
I'm just wondering - if the mass in the pre-planetary solar system was concentrated into a disk, how is it possible for a body like Vesta to get smacked in the South Pole? If the impact site was at the south pole prior to the hit, then the impactor would have to have come from outside the ecliptic. If the impact site was not at the south pole before the impact, how could the impact have re-oriented things to put it there?
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Aug 6 2011, 11:04 PM
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#3
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1729 Joined: 3-August 06 From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E Member No.: 1004 |
If the impact site was not at the south pole before the impact, how could the impact have re-oriented things to put it there? the stable (minimum energy) rotation of an ellipsoid is with the spin axis passing through its shortest axis. so even if the impact was not at the south pole (and it probably wasn't) the stable rotation configuration required the crater to end up at one of the poles |
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