or just a ‘poof’?

  • RegalPotoo@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    For a start, the planet wouldn’t actually collide with the sun on one piece - once the planet crosses the Roche limit it will break apart

    • deegeese@sopuli.xyz
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      3 months ago

      Sorry, but that’s wrong.

      Roche limit applies in a circular orbit, tidal effects are irrelevant in a head on collision.

      • willow
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        3 months ago

        Famous example of a comet breaking up from entering Jupiter’s roche limit in a highly eccentric orbit (not circular). Spaghettification is also an example of how tidal forces still apply during a head on collision.

        • deegeese@sopuli.xyz
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          3 months ago

          Eccentric orbit is still an orbit with tidal forces.

          A dead in crash will stretch the sphere, but without angular momentum, it’s just a raindrop.

      • RegalPotoo@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Yeah, but single large mass hitting in one place vs stuff spread out vs planet forming a ring and deorbiting over months/years would affect the outcome

        Practically, I’d think there wouldn’t be a huge effect beyond some CMEs - the mass of the earth is a rounding error compared to the sun - but I’m not a cosmologist