I've never found the antipodal argument convincing. Seismic waves converge at the antipode of an impact only if the target is spherically symmetric and isotropic. In the actual Earth, you have reflections off all kinds of laterally varying boundaries. Also, the sound speed differs substantially between continental and oceanic crust, so the path matters quite a bit.

The Chixulub impact is also not that big (as planetary-scale impacts go). The projectile was what, 10 km? Shock heating is only significant within a few times the projectile diameter.

It's not liquid, it's not hot, and it's not magma.

To be fair, this is basically what's happening.

It goes down every day on its own. They just went way out west and built the lab in the spot where the Sun sets.

What's in your wallet?

It's not clear from the summary (or the linked article), but this isn't a mission at this point. This is a concept selected for Phase I study.

From the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) news release:
"NIAC Phase I awards are approximately $100,000, providing awardees the funding needed to conduct a nine-month initial definition and analysis study of their concepts. If the basic feasibility studies are successful, proposers can apply for Phase II awards, which provide up to $500,000 for two more years of concept development."

This effort is independent of the ongoing Europa mission studies (e.g. the Clipper concept.) The Draper concept may end up getting a mission if the results prove promising. Personally, I have doubts that this will prove credible, but that's the whole point of the NIAC studies.

And for goodness sake, don't let them drive the bus.

Not the whole ring system. Only the A-D rings are within the Roche limit. But the phenomenon discussed here is happening in the A-ring, so this limitation does indeed apply. I don't understand how a moon could accrete here.

Actually, I always had wanted Stewart cast as Denethor. Not only could he have played the character much closer to how he's portrayed in the book, he'd have been a great foil to McKellen's Gandalf.

We certainly will be observing this comet with our Mars spacecraft. http://www.nasa.gov/jpl/mars/c...

In fact, there was a practice run with ISON last year. I think the goal is to point every telescope in the solar system at this thing during the pass.

Well, at least the Canadian pennies should stop being such a problem. They stopped making them a couple years ago. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

A prolate spheroid doesn't taper to points on the end. You'd need an infinite series of spherical harmonics to describe an American football, not just the degree-2 term. Though it's sufficiently elongated that spherical harmonics might not be the best basis set. Bessel functions?

Well, you have to admire the restraint, but I think this calls for a more forceful protest.

Like how Jor-El sent his only son to Earth to save mankind?

I'd also be confused if this site were in my current directory.