The Cape York Meteorites, the Younger Dryas, and Their Possible Association with the Hiawatha and Paterson Impact Craters
Martin Beech,
Mark Comte,
Ian Coulson
Issue:
Volume 8, Issue 4, December 2020
Pages:
66-74
Received:
20 October 2020
Accepted:
2 November 2020
Published:
9 November 2020
Abstract: The recent discovery of the Hiawatha and Paterson impact craters in north-western Greenland has motivated three intriguing questions: are they associated with the Cape York meteorites, did they form at the same time, and can one or both of the craters be associated with the abrupt cooling of the Earth, some 10 - 13,000 years ago, at the onset of the Younger Dryas. To address the first question, we review the properties of the Cape York meteorites and their associated strewn field. Using the Earth Impact Effects simulator, it is found that the strewn field is generally consistent with the entry of a 2 to 6-m diameter iron asteroid into the Earth’s atmosphere some 1 to 2 million years ago. The latter, terrestrial residency age of the meteorites, however, remains preliminary, and further radionuclide analysis is required to confirm the fall epoch. The possibility that the Cape York meteorites are progenitor fragments ejected at the time of crater formation has been investigated with an atmospheric flight program, and while it is possible to account for progenitor fragments traveling the 300-km distance between either crater location and the strewn field, this scenario is deemed unlikely. Indeed, the craters each being in excess of 30-km in diameter would indicate the complete vaporization of the impactors. It is concluded that the Cape York meteorites are unlikely to be related to the formation of either of the craters. Additionally, the 183-km separation between such large craters is remarkable and suggestive of a contemporaneous origin. We investigate this latter possibility, and while it cannot be fully ruled out at the present time, it is, on the basis of Near-Earth Object population statistics, deemed to be highly unlikely that they formed at the same time. This issue, however, will only be fully resolved once improved age estimates become available. Indeed, better crater formation ages will also shed more light upon their possible association with the Younger Dryas onset. With respect to the global climate excursion associated with the Younger Dryas, we review the possibility that the crater progenitor bodies were derived from the Taurid Complex, finding that this scenario is deserving of further study. Moving forwards, however, the conservative hypothesis, that the two craters are temporally distinct, not related to the Cape York meteorites and/or contemporaneous with the Younger Dryas onset, is favored.
Abstract: The recent discovery of the Hiawatha and Paterson impact craters in north-western Greenland has motivated three intriguing questions: are they associated with the Cape York meteorites, did they form at the same time, and can one or both of the craters be associated with the abrupt cooling of the Earth, some 10 - 13,000 years ago, at the onset of th...
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The Development of Multi-planetary Weight Measurement System for Computational Astronomy
Justus Chukwunonyerem,
Ezechi Nwachukwu Emmanuel,
Daniyan Omoniyi Lanre,
Onubi Peter Offor,
Donatus Nwagbara,
Ayogu Harrison Ejiofor,
Bonaventure Okere,
Aliyu Nasiru,
Chigozi Bethel Wali,
Nnadi Joseph Odo,
Chinedu Emeka Omulu,
Ogochukwu Edith Eze,
Kevin Eze Chukwunyere,
Ayogu Jideofor Uchenna,
Macdenis Onyekachi Egbuhuzor
Issue:
Volume 8, Issue 4, December 2020
Pages:
75-79
Received:
27 October 2020
Accepted:
7 November 2020
Published:
16 November 2020
Abstract: In this work, the design of a multi-planetary weight measurement device comprising of a hardware and software system, capable of measuring and displaying the weight of objects in different planets of our solar system is presented. It is a microcontroller-based device indigenously designed for computational astronomy needs in multi-planetary weight measurement. It is also a fascinating basic space science tool for space science enthusiasts. The methodology of the hardware design involved the programming and interconnection of modular electronic chips and sensors such as load cell sensor-TAS606, load cell amplifier-HX711, liquid crystal display-LCD, Joy-Stick switch and microcontroller which can measure weight of objects not exceeding five kilograms. The software system was designed into executable program using python programing language and can measure any range of object’s weight in the solar system. Surface gravity values for each planet were calculated and the respective values mapped for each select planet. Weight computational codes for respective planets were also developed in C-programming language for determining the weight of different objects on each planet. The device was calibrated using a known weight of one Kilogram (1Kg). Accurate weights of two different objects were measured for different planets on the system; the weights (data) measured were recorded and analyzed to show the key importance of gravity in astronomical weight computation in different planets.
Abstract: In this work, the design of a multi-planetary weight measurement device comprising of a hardware and software system, capable of measuring and displaying the weight of objects in different planets of our solar system is presented. It is a microcontroller-based device indigenously designed for computational astronomy needs in multi-planetary weight ...
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The Cause of Tension in the Measurements of the Hubble Constant
Issue:
Volume 8, Issue 4, December 2020
Pages:
80-86
Received:
16 October 2020
Accepted:
6 November 2020
Published:
8 December 2020
Abstract: The latest reported measurements for the evaluation of the Hubble constant by two different teams, the Riess et al. (2019) in USA and the Plank Collaboration (2018) in Europe, in spite of increased accuracy of measurements, have resulted in significantly different values. This tension between the results of the two different measurement methodologies has been a vexing puzzle. To resolve this tension we present a two-parameter kinematic model which predicts two different values for the Hubble constant. Each predicted value is essentially identical to one of the measured values. The two parameters are the redshift and the age of the universe. Using the model we show that the elapsed time between the event of the Big Bang and the event of the release of photons, at the decoupling time, is the factor causing the tension in the above two measurements of the Hubble constant. This model also yields a simple relation for predictions of distance moduli. It is shown that the predicted distance moduli are remarkably consistent both with the observational data and with those of the standard Lambda CDM model. As the predicted values of the Hubble constant are essentially identical to the corresponding measured values, it is concluded that the difference in the measured values of the Hubble constant is due to how the elapsed time, between the event of the big bang and the event of the appearance of photons, has incorporated itself into the measurement methodologies.
Abstract: The latest reported measurements for the evaluation of the Hubble constant by two different teams, the Riess et al. (2019) in USA and the Plank Collaboration (2018) in Europe, in spite of increased accuracy of measurements, have resulted in significantly different values. This tension between the results of the two different measurement methodologi...
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