Could we create a "Counter-Earth"? If so, should we?

Question

Could we create a planet on the direct orbital (around the sun) opposite of us, from other matter available in our solar system (meteors, moons, ice, etc)? If we did would it adversely effect the Earth or other major solar system bodies (planets, moons etc) gravitation and orbits? If not, should serious we consider creating one for our future, and the future of other species on this planet?

Answer 1

Okay, this just might be the dumbest question I've seen in many weeks. And that's saying a lot for this category.

Answer 2

You are asking several interesting questions.
1. could we build a planet in the exact oppostite orbit from the earth.

Short answer- no. We currently do not have the technology to move large mass from distant locations to have them get into the same orbit that the earth has. Remember you are talking about moving large asteroids in three dimensions, at 20,000 mph. And having them fall into a very tight orbit. If you do it wrong you can have catastrphic results (see shoemaker levi 9 striking jupiter)

second. If you were able to gather up that kind of mass (I'm assuming from the asteroid belt), by putting them together, you would be creating a new and interesting gravitaitonal field. I'm not sure how it would effect the other planets or moons.

third- we do not have the technology for creating atmosphere from nothing in space. How would you build an atmosphere? we are barely understanding our own atmosphere, let lone designing it..

fourth- it would be much easier to grab single asteroids, and bring them into legrange points (these are points around the orbits of each planet where you can position a space station, w/out having it fall into the planet as it comes by) and hollowing out the inside of asteroids and using them as bases. There are some interesting ideas about hollowing out the center of large spherical asteroids, filling them with ice, and spinning them. Place large mirrors around the asteroid, and heat it. As the ice heat and expands it will cause the asteroid to expand. At some pre deterimined point let out the gas. You have a large hollow sphere. Now close it up, fill it with gas and plants, and let them grow. Large livign space.

Or we can set up colonies on Mars, and the moon much easier than creating a "new planet."

But to answer your final question, it is serious future we have coming, but we do not have the technology to build this "counter earth", nor do we have the technology to move our species to this planet. Consider that each day there are over 250,000 people born every day. You will never be able to make transportation to another planet of that many people. EVER.

fifth would be to try to do what Larry Niven has outlined an create a "ringworld" Smelt down the asteroid belts and create a 1 mile wide ring of material around the sun. Think Halo (the game). It would look like that. It may sound small, but even 1/2 mile wide around the sun spinning slowly to create gravity would create about 100 times the amount of land available on earth. (mind you this would be WWWWAAAAAYYYY in the future. It would take all the material of the inner plannets (mercury, venus, earth, the moon, and mars to do it..) Again, we don't have taht technology either.
What will happen is that we will reach a point where starvation and war will decrease the numbers of people on earth. and hopefully when that happens we have colonies on other worlds. If not, then we may be in for disasterous consequences.

Answer 3

We are a very long way from actually being able to move asteroids and other "large" objects in the solar system, but we can theoretically. Moving them is just part of the problem though. Once in place making them cohesive would be required, and I don't know of any hypothetical science that would provide for that. Also, the matter of creating a atmosphere, and an ozone shield would be tricky, and that science is well beyound our reach. We're having problems with our own atmosphere here. We could just end up with another Venus. Though a number of my friends say we are well on our way to "Venus-forming" the Earth. Don't be discouraged, by some of the answers posted, so far. Some people just don't have any imagination.

Answer 4

I don't see the reason for creating a duplicate of Earth even if by some stretch we could. We could however within a hundred years or so terraform Mars, making the atmosphere breathable there. That might be a viable means to deal with overpopulation and destruction of habitat.

If we had to do it on the opposite side of the sun (I'm not sure why you want it there) It would be much more practical to simply build an enormous space station (or network of stations) that rotated to simulate gravity.

but umm, What's the point exactly? of it being on the other side of the sun i mean.

Answer 5

Well it is a difficult task. First of all we will need a lot of matter. We cannot keep placing small amounts of matter slowly, as it would drift away easily. and we need a lot of matter at once. We could actually alter the climate of mars to support life using giant mirrors, and other things. Because I guess we have found water.

Answer 6

We are not capable of creating a planet. Not even close.

It would not have a significant effect on the other planets.

Answer 7

No.

We don't even have enough spare material. It wouldn't affect much.

And rather than build another "earth", we should be working on fixing our problems here.

Answer 8

No and no
u like Startrek???

Geek