Could a shooting star hit earth?
Anything is possible right? I'd think we'd all die instantly. Not even having enough time to comprehend what just happened. Would the earth be blown to dust or shattered into pieces? I've never seen anyone's thoughts on this particular possible planet strike other than possible meteors and comet strikes. What say you?
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.There have been five mass extinction events notwithstanding the current episode, and none have involved shooting stars aka meteor showers.
Move earth out past Jupiter is you wish to have an atmosphere on Earth in 750 million years from now?
What I say is almost completely jejune, what about you.
Polemicist
Level 7
May 28, 2023
1
"Shooting stars", is actually a term usually used for meteors, or small rocks, which burn up when they hit the atmosphere. If however you mean could we collide with, or suffer from a damaging near encounter with an actual star. Then yes, anything is possible, but given the vast distances of space, and the fact that no star moves at anything like the speed of light, especially relative to the others. Then it follows that we would have thousands of years to watch it coming, and would be aware if there was one soon.
What is certain though, is that our whole galaxy is on a collision course with the Andromeda galaxy. Which is due to hit us in, I think if I remember correctly, one point one billion years, approximately. But given the vast amounts of empty space within galaxies, it is billions to one that we would suffer a direct hit. What is more likely is that the gravitational disturbances, would pull planets like earth into different orbits, and fling rocks and debris about with damaging effects. But given that just over a billion years is the time remaining until our sun dies anyway, that is probably about the limit of earths life in any case.
There is/was a theory, that there is a rogue star which makes a close pass by the solar system every sixty million years or so. And that by flinging debris and comets about, it is the cause of earths periodic mass extinctions. But that theory is regarded by most serious scientists as a bit fanciful, at the very least.
Fernapple
Level 9
May 28, 2023
4
A shooting star ... did somebody give it an AK-47? 
Anything can hit earth and appears to have done so many times in the past. I tend to not think about the sky falling because I want to remain happy without worries.
DenoPenno
Level 9
May 28, 2023
4
See also [skyatnightmagazine.com]
Not sure what you mean by "shooting star." The only astronomical event I am aware of that could "destroy" Earth with no warning is a gamma ray burst. As far as something big hitting Earth, which I guess is what you are talking about, we'd see it coming years if not decades in advance.
Druvius
Level 8
May 28, 2023
3
I was looking up at the night sky and saw a shooting star zip past. It was then my synapse went into overdrive. That shooting star/meteor went by so fast, what if. I was thinking hit us but fly close by is more appropriate. We really need better ways to monitor and detect everything out there. We don't see everything coming our way. We should be sending satellites to every planet out there to not only survey the planet but to monitor space in the particular sector. If we get hit I blame the religious for keeping us stupid long enough due with their continuous political psychobabble which has interfered in our technological advances over the decades since the moon landing. We should have had a base on the moon by now. If what I see about Quantum Computers is true. Oh shit, the speed of advancing new theories and new technologies coming to reality, which I just might be able to witness in my time, will truly be mind blowing.
@Partyhawk We are living in a Golden Age of space exploration, it's wonderful! Efforts are being made to detect anything that might hit us, especially since 2016 when NASA set up a planetary defense agency: [en.wikipedia.org]
Is dying ever fun? If it were a star, it's likely the Earth would simply be vaporized and absorbed. Given the vastness of space, one can see why it hasn't happened yet.
The latest images of galaxies show how the arms look like swiss cheese or even bread with holes everywhere generated by novae of various sorts. That looks to be a much more probable event: a nova going off and raking the solar system with lethal radiation. Astronomers believe the chondrules comprising many meteors come from matter sprayed into our vicinity by these novae.
racocn8
Level 9
May 27, 2023
3
"Shooting stars" often hit Earth. What we call shooting stars are actually space debris passing through our atmosphere and burning up. To my knowledge, and I am no expert, is that stars "die", collapse on themselves becoming so dense they form black holes. Again, no expert.
puff
Level 8
May 27, 2023
1
There are some rogue stars just moving through the universe. I've no idea how close any are, but since science has only fairly recently found any, I expect they are very far away.
puff:
@Beowulfsfriend My limited knowledge I understand massive black holes can swallow stars, is this how they move do you know ie gravitational pull?
@puff I have no idea how they get momentum to be moving across space.
@Beowulfsfriend There's nothing anywhere near us in terms of stars that could hit us.
@Druvius I know. Closet other than the sun is about 10 light years.
The answer depends on the type of star that swallowed up the earth.
anglophone
Level 9
May 27, 2023
2
There are rogue stars in the universe. Pretty sure we would see one coming from a long ways out.
Beowulfsfriend
Level 9
May 27, 2023
7
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