Let’s say the Earth were hit by some humongous object like a huge asteroid and split into giant chunks. What would happen to the cities on those chunks (assuming the chunks were large enough)? Would it be possible that those chunks could end up in some alien lifeform’s solar system some day with entire cities intact?
::Owww - this makes my brain hurt::
Earth splits into bits, you would have:
*Massive “earthquakes” - knock most everything down
*Decompression - blow everything out
*Loss of gravity - bits go ballistic and wander away
-and probably other things…
Then, some chunk would have to reach solar escape velocity - I’m not sure how fast that is, but it’s pretty bloody fast.
Then, some chunk would have to pass near enough another solar system to be captured. Space is mostly…space. Really, really, high odds there.
Then, that solar system has to be tenanted (or have the potential to be tenanted) by an intelligent race. Don’t know the odds there, but I’m betting they’re pretty high too.
BTW, this post is written in haste, so don’t take offense at the shortness of tone - I need to get to work. 
I was inspired to ask by the early 30’s sci-fi novel After Worlds Collide in which domed, functional cities were found on Bronson Beta.
**Mr. Blue Sky wrote:
I was inspired to ask by the early 30’s sci-fi novel After Worlds Collide in which domed, functional cities were found on Bronson Beta.**
Read the prequel When Worlds Collide for the explaination of what happens to the Earth before the collision.
IANAP (physicist) but… after the collision, the Earth’s fragments would still circle our sun. Few if any would gain any extra momentum to be expelled from the solar system. After some time (millions of years) the Earth’s fragments would collide enough to make fine pieces to form a secondary asteroid belt.
I read the original, too. Of course, they were written a LOOOONNNGGGGGGG time ago, scientific-discovery wise.
The short answer is no. The amount of energy released in very large impacts is enough to melt the bodies in question. Something large enough to literally split the Earth would melt it quite thoroughly.
Also, the shock wave passing through the ground and air would probably strip the air off the planet as well. The winds would be enough to scour clean anything on the surface, even if it weren’t vaporized first.
Fun scenario, eh? Still, “When Worlds Collide” is a pretty cool flick.
Bronson Beta, where “Death Wish” is required viewing, EVERY day at noon on TBS.
(not really from) Death Wish 9:
Bronson: “I wish I was dead.”
Yes. This is in fact how we got Los Angeles.
Can you say–“The Bottle City Of Kandor”?
*snaps fingers *
That’s what I was trying to remember! Thanks, BD’CoT.
You guys are obviously suffering from Kyptonite-induced hallucinations. Kandor was stolen, shrunk and bottled by Brainiac years before the planet Krypton exploded.
You probably meant to say Argo City, a small section of which survived the destruction of the planet and carried survivors for about 30 years, long enough for Zor-El and Allura to raise a daughter, Kara, who was sent to Earth (and became Supergirl) when the Kryptonite radiation made the asteroid uninhabitable.
Wouldn’t there also be the problem that no individual chunk would have the gravity necessary to keep unattached items grounded?
Specifically, the Argonians were killed by anti-kryptonite. A-K affects nonsuperpowered Kryptonians.
I gotta see if the Kryptonite thread is still around.
If your planet is destroyed, make sure you have a towel and a handy copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a handy volume with the words “Don’t Panic” emblazoned on the front in big, friendly letters and the most remarkable book ever written.
Bad Astronomer, I’m surprised you didn’t take the opportunity to illustrate a real life example of this happening - even though it happened 4 1/2 billion years ago. When you talked about the impact melting the planet a bit (OK, a lot), I remembered reading about the (widely accepted) theory of the moon being formed by an impact. Of course, I then had to refresh my memory on the specifics. For those that are interested, here is a nice web page that explains the theory.
I hope you will be happy to note that I found this page by starting with your site, then moving to the nine planets page where I found the above link.