Science & Technology

Nemesis - The Sun's Evil Twin Brother

History Channel
Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:20 UTC

The following episode explores the Nemesis theory, that our sun has a companion star whose passages through the Oort cloud periodically knocks comets into the inner solar system which results in cyclic extinction level events here on Earth.

Comment: Something wicked this way comes...

Reader Comments

house · 2012-11-28T16:15:14Z

26 million year cycle?

They probably meant 26,000 -- same as the precession cycle.

It is said (Cs) that precession isn't gyroscopic wobble (nutation), but directed by tidal forces of the binary partner.

We've also heard lots about a 3600 year cycle, can anyone remind us of what causes that?

NugaBurd · 2012-11-29T14:29:54Z

"They probably meant 26,000 -- same as the precession cycle."

No, they mean 26 million.

The Sun's orbital period is 26,000 years (or thereabouts.)

The hypothesized Nemesis has about 1/10 the mass of the Sun, resulting in its much larger orbit and its much longer orbital period.

Phlanges · 2012-11-29T15:09:24Z

Let's do the math

Let's assume Nemesis is at most 1 light year away from the sun at any given time and it has an orbit of 26000 years. The average speed which it is orbiting the sun. There are 9.46x10^12 kilometers in a light year and the distance it will travel in its orbit is simply pi times kilometers in a light year, or 2.97x10^13 km. There are 8.19x10^11 seconds in 26000 years so, its average speed is the quotient of the two, which is about 36km/s.

Now this is its average speed. The closer it gets, the faster it will go and considering how close it is supposed to come to the sun compared to its furthest point it will be moving extremely fast at its closest point, let's just say 100km/s to be very conservative.
Now unless Nemesis is coming ridiculously close to the sun, as in closer than Mercury, this speed is greater than the sun's escape velocity and it will be flung out of the solar system forever.
All of my estimates have been conservative, so what is the justification for it being a 26000 year orbit? So when you say "They probably meant 26,000" it leads me to think this is based on wishful thinking to fit the paradigm you have created for yourself on faith and not reasoning.
So give me some hard facts to dispute this, I'm eager to see what if anything I have missed.

pavlink · 2012-11-29T10:02:26Z

Mother Star - Avrora

Return of the Goddess
Solar System as 4D energy vortex

[Link]

pavlink · 2012-11-29T10:07:42Z

The "Gradual disclosure" was speeded up.

yeah, they all still hate getting killed... or the luckier ones, just maimed

maxleer

I always liked Ireland.

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Are there any problems these days with getting men to enlist in the US military?

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I guess I am missing something. Exactly when did "we" decide that "protesters" could riot and it would still be treated like it was still a...

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Wispy

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Nemesis - The Sun's Evil Twin Brother

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