Is the Oort cloud real?

[Pugspaceprogram]

Assuming that everyone reading this is on earth, (We're on to you, Jeb!) You may have heard about a large 'nebula' orbiting the sun, anywhere between 100 AU and 1 light-year. What i want to know is, what are your opinions on it? Will we ever see it? And most importantly, what would it mean for us?

[Rune]

It's not a belief, really... all solar formation models say there should be plenty of leftovers out there. To see it we just need to either get closer or use a big badass IR telescope, JWST would be ideal for that. What it means? Well, once we can get there (and we'll need something much more efficient than chemical engines to do so), more building material and real estate. Lot's of icy types, not so many heavy elements-enriched ones. It's the place comets come out from.

Rune. No place for beliefs in science.

[Canopus]

We know that it exists.

[LaydeeDem]

I'm pretty certain exists.

Also you don't "believe" facts. Facts are real regardless if you believe in them or not.

[hawkinator]

What we believe is irrelevant, if it's there then eventually we will all be forced to acknowledge it's existence. As for it's importance, it's stuff. If it's useful enough stuff, we will probably go and get it and use it for whatever it's useful for.

[AncientAstronaut]

No it's a government hoax to make us forget that they faked the moon landings.

inb4 people think I'm serious.

[Crush]

We know that it exists.

Rule number one of the scientific method: You never know that something exist. You only have a model which is consistent with your observations and postulates the existence of something.

As for it's importance, it's stuff. If it's useful enough stuff, we will probably go and get it and use it for whatever it's useful for.

Economical exploitation of the oorth cloud is unlikely, considering that its distance from the sun is several thousand AU. Also, its metallicity is hypothesed to be quite low.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Crush

[LaydeeDem]

No it's a government hoax to make us forget that they faked the moon landings.

inb4 people think I'm serious.

WHAT!!!! SEE I WAS RIGHT! IT'S ALL A HOAX BY THE REPTILIAN CAPITALIST NWO GOVERNMENT PEOPLE!!!!!

THE SOLAR SYSTEM ISN'T REAL! WAKE UP YOU SHEEPLE!

Also, SHOUT OUT TO MAH FRIENDS AT WWW DOT ABOVETOPSECRET DOT COM!

[Holo]

I'm pretty certain exists.

Also you don't "believe" facts. Facts are real regardless if you believe in them or not.

But what if the fact that you don't believe is "The Oort cloud does not exist"?

THE OORT CLOUD IS A HOAX BY THE REPTILE OBAMAS, WAKE UP SHEEPLE!

[Deviation]

I'm pretty certain exists.

Also you don't "believe" facts. Facts are real regardless if you believe in them or not.

The Oort Cloud is a theory. Not a fact. The Oort Cloud has not directly been observed, yet we can observe space beyond the Oort Cloud... Hmm...

[Ralathon]

Those long period comets have to come from somewhere, the Oort cloud seems the best candidate as a source for them and objects like Sedna. Haven't we observed Oort clouds around other stars?

[Aladran]

Still not proven...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oort_cloud

The Oort cloud /ˈÉâ€rt/[1] (named after the Dutch astronomer Jan Oort), or Öpik–Oort cloud,[2] is a hypothesized spherical cloud of predominantly icy planetesimals that may lie roughly 50,000 AU, or nearly a light-year, from the Sun

So we can't affirm that it's there. But I'd bet it's there

[SargeRho]

The Oort Cloud is a theory. Not a fact. The Oort Cloud has not directly been observed, yet we can observe space beyond the Oort Cloud... Hmm...

*Smacks Deviation with the Science-hammer*

It's a Hypothesis, not a Theory. If it was a Theory, you'd consider it a Fact.

[Winter Man]

I'm pretty certain exists.

Also you don't "believe" facts. Facts are real regardless if you believe in them or not.

"Reality is that which, once you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Phillip K. Dick

Thought the quote was relevant. Although we've not detected irrefutable evidence of it yet, so it doesn't wholly apply.

[MBobrik]

Rule number one of the scientific method: You never know that something exist. You only have a model which is consistent with your observations and postulates the existence of something.

.

1. All knowledge is like that. Even when you are looking at this text, your brain forms a model that is supposedly consistent with the data stream coming through your optical nerve.

.

2. such a model is knowledge.

[Nuke]

No it's a government hoax to make us forget that they faked the moon landings.

inb4 people think I'm serious.

inb4 Buzz Aldrin falcon punch.

[MBobrik]

The Oort Cloud is a theory. Not a fact.

XXXXXXXXX is a theory. not a fact. ... hmm... where I've last heard that line ?

[briansun1]

I don't even know what one is...

[PakledHostage]

I don't even know what one is...

Say hello to my little friend:

Sorry, I couldn't resist...

In all seriousness, there are plenty of resources online that explain the Oort Cloud. Here are two:

1. cosmos4kids

2. wikipedia

Edited October 21, 2013 by PakledHostage
Tried to tone down the snark... I was trying to be funny but it didn't come across that way on second reading.

[Superfluous J]

I trust the data and reasoning that says it's there. If more data comes in that leads us to reason it's not there, I'll trust that data. I see no reason to believe one way or another in this matter.

[briansun1]

-snip-

it's fine. it's just that maybe the Op could have put some links up or given a tl;dr version.

[Brotoro]

Do you think the comets that fall into the inner solar system (on nearly parabolic orbits, at any inclination, and from any direction) are created just outside Neptune's orbit by fairies?

Just because you can't observe the tiny comet nuclei out at 100+ AU doesn't mean they aren't there. The Oort cloud is the simplest explanation for what we observe.

[Dispatcher]

The Cloud: its full of Oorts!

In my opinion, each stellar system has an equivalent cloud, so once we are able to leave our own, we'll shortly encounter similar "clouds" in the influence of other stars.

[PakledHostage]

Several hyperbolic comets (likely originating in the Oort Cloud) are discovered every year. Wikipedia's long period comet entry includes a table of hyperbolic comet discoveries by year:

2013 8

2012 10

2011 12

2010 4

2009 8

2008 7

2007 12

Interestingly, JPL's small body database does not include any objects with eccentricity significantly greater than 1. An object's orbital eccentricity would have to be significantly greater than 1 for it to be of extrasolar origin.

Edited October 21, 2013 by PakledHostage

[pxi]

The Oort Cloud is a theory. Not a fact.

It's a theory that's fairly well accepted, close enough IMHO.

The Oort Cloud has not directly been observed, yet we can observe space beyond the Oort Cloud... Hmm...

That's a misunderstanding stemming from the use of the word 'cloud', very similar to the term 'asteroid belt'.