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Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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Revision as of 23:07, 7 August 2012


Welcome to the explain xkcd wiki! We currently have 12 comic explanations. Come and add yours!

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Moon Armor Index
Astronomers are a little unsure of the applicability of this index, but NASA's Planetary Protection Officer is all in favor.
Title text: Astronomers are a little unsure of the applicability of this index, but NASA's Planetary Protection Officer is all in favor.

Explanation

Ambox notice.png This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Created by a MOON ARMOR SAMURAI BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.

In this comic, Randall hypothesizes a situation in which each planet's moons were converted into protective armor to coat their respective planets. For example, the Moon would coat Earth in a 43 kilometer layer if it were molded into protective armor for the planet. It is unknown how the moons would be converted into armor, but with current technology, this would be highly impractical, if not impossible.[citation needed] Mars' moons, being small compared to Mars, would make a thinner layer over Mars. Jupiter, being very big compared to its moons, would also have a small layer of "moon" on it. This is similar for Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Pluto, having a moon (Charon) of a comparable size to its planet, would have a layer thicker than Earth's.

The title text states that astronomers are confused about the idea of protective armor made from moons, but NASA's Planetary Protection Officer, who is responsible for keeping other celestial bodies away from Earth's contamination, is apparently strongly in favor of this idea.

Planet/
dwarf planet
Area (km²) Moons Volume (km³) Moon shield thickness
Earth 5.1007*10^8 1 21.96*10^9 43 km (27 mi)
Mars 1.4437*10^8 2 (5695±32)+(1033±19) 5 cm (2 in)
Jupiter 6.1469*10^10 95
Saturn 4.27*10^10 146
Uranus 8.1156*10^9 28
Neptune 7.6187*10^9 16
Pluto 1.7744*10^7 5
Salacia 1
Haumea 8.14*10^6 2
Quaoar 3.78*10^6 1
Gonggong 1
Eris (1.70±0.02)*10^7 1

Transcript

Ambox notice.png This transcript is incomplete. Please help editing it! Thanks.

[Text above diagram:]

Moon armor index:
How thick the shells around various worlds would be if their moon(s) were converted into protective armor
≈Total moon volume/Planet surface area
[Vertical bars showing "moon armor" thicknesses for the Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Salacia, Haumea, Quaoar, Gonggong and Eris. Earth's bar has a label named "43 km thick" and is compared to the height of Mt Everest. The zoom in to the Mars' bar has a thickness label of 2" and is compared to a rover wheel over it. Pluto's bar has a label named "(Mostly Charon)".]


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