Die on Mars

When Lao Mao observed Comet Tomcat-Tang-Mai 1 again the next night, the brightness of the star increased again, and the comet was flying extremely fast - it is probably the fastest moving celestial body in the solar system, every second The clock can fly more than seventy kilometers, while the flight speed of ordinary asteroids is only twenty kilometers per second.

Under the condition of equal mass, the energy carried by the comet is thirteen times that of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous. If the Tomcat-Tang-Mai 1 comet really crashes into the arms of Mars, then the energy caused by it will be The catastrophic consequences will be far more spectacular than the fifth mass extinction of life on Earth.

The volume density of Mars is much smaller than that of the Earth. The comet has enough energy to throw a large amount of material into orbit. This will create a huge crater on the surface of Mars and form a rubble belt. From then on, Mars will also have a sparse ring. Aura.

Of course, it is impossible for Tang Yue and Maidong to see this scene by then. Comet Laomao-Tang-Mai 1 comes from above the ecliptic plane of the solar system and will definitely hit the northern hemisphere of Mars. Kunlun Station may Destroyed at the moment of impact, the space station will be torn apart by thrown debris.

"How is it? Which one is the comet?" Tang Yue asked.

Old Mao moved his position and pointed it to Tang Yue on the monitor.

On the screen is a starry sky, which is a photo taken by the survey telescope on the Joint Space Station, which has been tracking the comet that broke into the solar system.

A little bit beyond Tang Yue's expectation, the old cat's paw pointed at a very dim light spot. It was inconspicuous among the bright stars. This was different from the comet in Tang Yue's impression.

He expected to see a bright broom star.

"It's a pity that the morning module of the space station is damaged, otherwise we can use a telescope with a larger diameter and higher precision, so that you can see more clearly." Old Cat said, "This is Comet Tomcat 1, which is heading towards It flies towards the sun at high speed, and in the three minutes you are staring at the screen in a daze, it has flown over a distance of more than 12,600 kilometers."

Tang Yue rubbed his chin.

If it were in ancient times, this comet would probably be labeled as a "demon star descending from the sky, an ominous omen". Both at home and abroad, ancient people had a bad impression of comets. The Chinese called it a broom star, representing bad luck. , while Westerners believe that it is the dissatisfaction and wrath of God.

After all, anyone would be uneasy if they knew something huge was approaching above them, whether it was a nuclear warhead or a comet.

A sudden thought popped into Tang Yue's mind, "Old Cat, tell me, is it possible that this thing is an interstellar missile? An ultra-long-range strike weapon made by some extraterrestrial civilization. It flies so fast, it really looks like a missile. ...Do you think it looks like it?"

"It's not like that." The old cat glanced at him and shook his head, "According to the spectral analysis results, more than 95% of the structure of this thing is water, and the remaining components are carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ammonia and methane. These substances Once it gets close to the sun, it will evaporate quickly. If it is a missile, I think it must have at least an iron-tungsten core, or bring a three-phase bomb."

"That means it's actually an interstellar waterman?"

"Yes." Old Cat nodded, "A considerable part of the water on the earth may come from comets. Billions of years ago, before life was born, a large number of asteroids and comets hit the earth, bringing various Rare metals as well as moisture and possibly even organic molecules."

"If it can land on Mars, I'm just saying that if...without affecting the Kunlun Station and the Space Station...will we be able to replenish water? We can't use up so much water in a lifetime."

"Impossible, what are you thinking? Do you think it will form a lake or ocean when it hits it?" Old Cat shook his head, "All the water contained in the core will evaporate instantly in the high heat of the impact and melt into Mars. You can't get a drop of water in the atmosphere, and of course such a tiny bit of water can't make the Martian atmosphere moist, which is equivalent to pouring down a bottle of mineral water in the middle of the Sahara Desert."

"I was just thinking about it." Tang Yue curled his lips.

"The only way to get water resources on a comet..."

"What is it?" Tang Yue asked.

"You just fly up and force it to stop, just like the Deep Impact." Old Cat replied, "Then you can take as much water as you want."

When the old cat says such fairy words, it proves that it is quite impatient with your stupidity.

"Has the orbit of this thing been calculated?"

The old cat shook his head, "Still under observation."

Tang Yue knew that it was impossible for this comet to hit Mars... The probability of these two celestial bodies colliding was smaller than a bullet hitting a bullet, but he still couldn't help but worry. In the past, Tang Yue would definitely not worry about a comet. Of course it was not his turn to worry, but since the earth disappeared, the universe had become a dangerous place in Tang Yue's eyes, and the originally empty dark night sky seemed to be hiding ferocious beasts.

Since it can swallow the earth in one gulp, it is not unimaginable to spit a spittle and drown you.

"Mr. Cat?"

"Ms. Maidong, is the light sensor of the S1 battery pack still working normally?"

"Everything is normal with the solar panels and the light sensor is in good condition." Maidong replied, "The repair work was very successful."

Maidong's mission to escape the cabin has been successfully completed. She successfully replaced the damaged wiring. Tang Yue also praised her for her talent as an electrician.

The old cat curled his lips and dismissed it.

To be an electrician requires a talent for wool.

To be an electrician Liu requires talent.

"Mr. Cat, here are some brief biographies of several people who have been sorted out in the history of European science and technology development, the history of agricultural development, and the history of Western philosophy." Maidong sent the document to the old cat, "I have St. Augustine, Thomas... Aquinas, Leibniz and Descartes.”

"Well..." Old Mao glanced at it, "Tang Yue, have you finished sorting it over there?"

"Almost, but are you going to include Pythagoras and Democritus in the history of philosophy or the history of science?"

The old cat thought for a while, "History of philosophy."

"After all, the earliest science is natural philosophy." Maidong said, "Philosophers are also scientists."

"But Aristotle is simply a villain in middle school physics textbooks," Tang Yue said. "He is taken out and criticized in almost every class."

"The next guy is Francis Bacon...oh no, Bacon."

"Next up are Nikolai and Bruno."

"Going down to Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo... these people should be mainly included in the history of science. The philosophers worth mentioning at this stage should be Barclay and Spinoza."

The old cat chattered.

They are organizing and recording the history of science and philosophy, and writing biographies of famous people in history. Science and philosophy are listed as separate histories, juxtaposed with the chronicles of human civilization, which can make the records more organized. In addition, The development of agriculture and industry has also been compiled separately by them. From slash-and-burn cultivation to the use of chemical fertilizers, from the first industrial revolution to the birth of semiconductors, human history slowly flows through this small scientific research station.

"Kant...and Hegel."

"This man is Schopenhauer!"

"Don't Freud appear here. Don't mention him when writing about psychology. Don't forget Nietzsche. I heard that there is no Miss Maidong... Nietzsche's era is wrong."

"Damn it, I told you Tang Yue last time, Marx is not a Soviet person!"