Author Question: Imagine a Star Wars type spaceship in orbit around a planet. Its engine suffers a severe ... (Read 122 times)

xclash · **on:** Jul 27, 2018

Imagine a Star Wars type spaceship in orbit around a planet. Its engine suffers a severe malfunction, and explodes. What is the most physically realistic depiction of this event?

A) The spacecraft burns up in a giant reball.
B) The spacecraft breaks apart, and the pieces continue to orbit the planet.
C) The spacecraft breaks in half and begins to sink down into the planet, like a sinking aircraft carrier.

Question 2

The planet COROT-14b is only slightly larger than Jupiter, but is several times more massive. Which is the most plausible explanation for its similar size to Jupiter?

A) Planets that are close to a star are heated up and therefore larger.
B) The mass measurement is mistaken, and it is actually about 10 times more massive than Jupiter.
C) It is made of elements other than hydrogen and helium which do not compress under their own gravity.
D) The hydrogen and helium gas compressed even under their own gravity to a higher density than Jupiter.