Re:Astronomers Spot First-Known Interstellar Comet
by diggernet on Wednesday October 25, 2017 @06:34PM
(#15554890)
"Based on its apparent brightness, dynamicist Bill Gray calculates that it would have a diameter of about 160 meters (525 feet) if it were a rock with a surface reflectivity of 10%."
It is, of course, almost certainly a rock. But as a pointless mental exercise, how large would it be if it were a shiny metal probe?
Re:Astronomers Spot First-Known Interstellar Comet
by softrock on Wednesday October 25, 2017 @07:34PM
(#15555217)
The observations are still coming in and things are very uncertain. One astronomer on twitter noted that if the most uncertain measurement were removed that the comet has a 0.9 eccentricity, and therefore likely not an interstellar comet.
It is, of course, almost certainly a rock. But as a pointless mental exercise, how large would it be if it were a shiny metal probe?