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Old 09-28-2017, 03:28 PM   #1
Michael Thayne
 
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Join Date: May 2010
Default [Spaceships] [Space] Firing an Azrael-class world-killer at a planet's moon

So the Azrael-class world-killer in Spaceships 3 is described as a "dinosaur killer", not something that would literally make a planet go kaboom Death Star style. But what if you fired it at a moon? Gravitational binding energy calculations suggest the Azrael doesn't have enough energy to destroy a Ceres-sized moon... but could obliterate a moonlet like one of Mars' moons.

If that happens, what happens to the planet beneath? If it hits the moon from the near side, I think the gamma radiation from the impact fries anyone on one-half of the planet's surface. If it his from the other side, I think the moon's mass will protect them from the gamma rays. But will they be killed by falling rock? This is the point where my physics knowledge fails me. Does anyone know the physics required to work this out?

Similar questions about say, an Azrael hitting the far side of Luna would also be interesting to have answers for.
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