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dmjspace
Guest
As scientists know (or at least *should* know but often seem to forget), the hallmark of true science is <b> prediction. </b><br /><br />NASA's upcoming holiday Deep Impact mission will, if all goes well, impact comet Tempel 1 on Independence Day. <br /><br />NASA has arranged a host of scenarios to accomodate any result, but the accepted model of comets insists that comets are "dirty snowballs." The bulk of scientists expect this model to be confirmed in one way or another by Deep Impact.<br /><br />There is a long-standing feud between the dirty snowball model and the "exploded planet hypothesis" (EPH) and Deep Impact is presenting us with one of those far-too-rare opportunities to pit an "alternative" theory against a rather well-entrenched (though ailing) mainstream theory.<br /><br />The EPH predicts one and only one scenario: Tempel 1 is an asteroid. More accurately, all comets are asteroids. In other words, they are rocky bodies, NOT snowballs. (In fact, many mainstream scientists have already quietly accepted a sneaky terminology change from "dirty snowball" to "snowy dirtball" in a tacit nod toward the EPH model's successes.)<br /><br />Prediction is the hallmark of science. The EPH predicts the Deep Impact probe will impact solid rock and vaporize, creating a small crater (no more than 30m) and a transient dust cloud. It will otherwise have no effect on the "comet."<br /><br />See the EPH's specific predictions here, then compare them to the frantic post-impact mainstream backpeddling sure to occur after the data are in.