In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood

This is the online edition of In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood, 8th Edition (2008), by Dr. Walt Brown. It is designed to be read online.
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[ The Fountains of the Great Deep > The Origin of Comets > Evaluation of Evidence vs. Theories ]

Evaluation of Evidence vs. Theories

Table 14. Evidence vs. Theories: Origin of Comets
		Theories
		Formed in Inner Solar System						Formed in Outer Solar System or Beyond
		From Earth by Fountains of the Great Deep (Hydroplate Theory)		From Exploded Planet between Mars and Jupiter		From Eruptions on the Giant Planets		Original Oort Cloud: Began Far Beyond Solar System		Revised Oort Cloud: Began Near Edge of Solar System		From Meteor Streams		From Interstellar Dust and Gas Clouds
Evidence to be Explained	Formation Mechanism		1		13		22		30		45		60		72
	Ice on Moon and Mercury		1		14		23		31		46		61		73
	Crystalline Dust		2				22		32		47		62		74
	Near-Parabolic Comets		3						33		48
	Random Perihelion Directions		4				24		34		49		63		75
	No Incoming Hyperbolic Orbits								35		50
	Small Perihelions						25		36		51		64		76
	Orbit Directions and Inclinations		5				24		37				63		75
	Two Separate Populations		5						38		52
	Jupiter’s Family		6		15				39		53		65		77
	High Loss Rates of Comets						26				54
	Composition		7		16		27		40		55		66		78
	Heavy Hydrogen		7				27		30		45		67		79
	Small Comets		8		17		28		41		56		68		80
	Missing Meteorites				18								69		81
	Recent Meteor Streams		9		19		29		42		57		70		82
	Crater Ages		9		20				43		58
	Other		10–12		21				44		59		71



Key:		Theory explains this item.
		Theory has moderate problem with this item.
		Theory has serious problems with this item.
Numbers in this table refer to amplifying explanations on pages 278–288.

Table 14 summarizes how well each modern theory explains the many strange things associated with comets. Each column corresponds to a theory, and each row represents a detail that requires an explanation. A green circle means that, in my opinion, the column’s theory reasonably explains that row’s diagnostic detail. Yellow and red circles indicate moderate and serious problems, respectively. Numbers in Table 14 refer to additional information below. Table 14 shows both details and the broad perspective—“the trees and the forest.”