[meteorite-list] Deep Impact, Impact

[Sterling K. Webb]

Walter Branch wrote:

> Does anyone know if the Deep Impact event would result in an
> appreciable change in the orbit of Temple 1?  I know "appreciable" is
> a relative term, and I am not talking about a massive change, but I
> was wondering if mission scientists and investigators are looking into
> this. -Walter Branch

    It's like the world's tiniest gnat smacking into the windshield of
the world's biggest 18-wheeler, only even less so!
    UNLESS, it triggers a progressive breakup of a very loosely bound
cluster-object. Then all bets are off.
    Tempel 1's recent jetting and those reaction forces are a much
greater effect and their tiny orbital changes are undetectable. However,
the frequent outburst of a comet over long periods has long been known
to alter its orbit by increments until it's very noticeable, major
change, like arriving at perihelion days late.
    That's why comet orbits are not strictly predictable within a
certain range, making the future close approach of a cometary body (like
in 2086 AD) an incalculable danger.

Sterling K. Webb