Without it we would freeze. In fact we see evidence in the past of times we did exactly that until greenhouses in atmosphere reached levels high enough to melt ice over a kilometre thick at the equator.
Atmospheric gases then dissolved in oceans, reacted with free calcium ions in the water, precipitated out, restored balance.
MMGW aside, it is not cold in space in the Solar System. As the cartoon illustrates, there is a fringin’ huge nuclear fusion reactor nearby, and this is providing over 1kw/m at the distance of the earth. If you were in space, exposed to the sun, you would get fried.
The moon is complaining about being cold, but at the distance from the sun Earth is it can actually be quite hot when exposed to direct sunlight, though without an atmosphere to trap heat night time temperatures can drop quite insanely. Of course there is one thing I always HATE to see in sci-fi, and that’s an object almost instantly icing over and freezing solid once thrown into space, which is a load of crap. Since there is no air to transfer heat away by conduction or convection it can only be radiated away, which is the slowest method. There might be a little initial surface freezing as any surface moisture boils away in the vacuum, but it could take hours, or even DAYS for an object the size of a human body to freeze solid in outer space, and that’s only if it’s in the shade if it’s in Earth orbit.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault over 4 years ago
Without it we would freeze. In fact we see evidence in the past of times we did exactly that until greenhouses in atmosphere reached levels high enough to melt ice over a kilometre thick at the equator.
Atmospheric gases then dissolved in oceans, reacted with free calcium ions in the water, precipitated out, restored balance.
All very interesting.
pschearer Premium Member over 4 years ago
Normally I despise fart jokes, but for one on this scale I’ll make an exception.
mobeydick over 4 years ago
MMGW aside, it is not cold in space in the Solar System. As the cartoon illustrates, there is a fringin’ huge nuclear fusion reactor nearby, and this is providing over 1kw/m at the distance of the earth. If you were in space, exposed to the sun, you would get fried.
Pentagen over 4 years ago
Kelvins, not degrees Kelvin! Temperatures measured in Kelvins are not referred to as “degrees” like they are when measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Sorry, that’s one of my stupid pet peeves.
GJ over 4 years ago
Earth’s yearly closest point to the sun, our perihelion, is today Jan 5, at 01:48 US Central Time.
jpayne4040 over 4 years ago
(groan)
Thorby over 4 years ago
That is REALLY no joke!
Ellis97 over 4 years ago
Fart jokes! The lowest and laziest form of humor!
fix-n-fly over 4 years ago
I wouldn’t expel that gas so close to the sun. Methane is flammable!
jagedlo over 4 years ago
A little break from the regular stories that Jump Start has been going through…
yangeldf over 4 years ago
The moon is complaining about being cold, but at the distance from the sun Earth is it can actually be quite hot when exposed to direct sunlight, though without an atmosphere to trap heat night time temperatures can drop quite insanely. Of course there is one thing I always HATE to see in sci-fi, and that’s an object almost instantly icing over and freezing solid once thrown into space, which is a load of crap. Since there is no air to transfer heat away by conduction or convection it can only be radiated away, which is the slowest method. There might be a little initial surface freezing as any surface moisture boils away in the vacuum, but it could take hours, or even DAYS for an object the size of a human body to freeze solid in outer space, and that’s only if it’s in the shade if it’s in Earth orbit.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 4 years ago
In normal times with a 350 ppm or lower we’d be cooling not as we are warming.
Dawn Premium Member over 2 years ago
I love the annual New Year’s planet dialog. :-)