Bob I claim that what you've written there - and what several circles say - is essentially off target. I must of course hasten to say that you Bob, do clearly know far more than many many people do about space and about science. You're a sharp cookie and no mistake about that at all.

Now please let me give you several arguments.

First let me argue by authority. One cannot find such a theory in any good source, like Scientific American or Sky and Telescope, let alone any actual research journals.

Second let me argue by evidence of our senses. Such force that could wipe out Mars atmosphere would have certainly affected other planets as well, and there is no evidence whatever of the same.

Third, let me argue by presenting to you the best explanation we have to date. As I learned from the famous English science popularizer Brian Cox, the atmosphere of Mars was knocked away due to several factors; Mars is not on the same size scale as larger bodies like Venus and Earth, and hence its internal heat bled away rather quickly. Without internal heat, you haven't got much of a magnetic dynamo and THAT means you haven't got much of a magnetic field.

You say to yourself "Who the hello needs a magnetic field?" The answer is ALL of us do!

We think of the sun as a big bad source of light and heat, and that is correct.

However, it is much more than that. It is also the source of a constant stream of ionic particles that shoot out from it at the speed of light, essentially. It is really the strength of the solar wind that defines the size of our solar system, even more than the size of the sun's gravitation and the influence of its heat and brightness.

"The solar wind never sleeps"

The solar wind blasts the Earth day and night, and without the Earth's magnetic field to protect us, it would INDEED have long ago blasted away our atmosphere.

As it is, we SEE the effects of the solar wind pounding on the Earth's atmosphere in the form of Aurora Borealis.

And so, Mars smaller size and consequent lack of magnetic field has left the poor planet *unprotected* and it has been mercilessly blasted for millions of years by the relentless solar wind. And THIS is what has killed its atmosphere...

And I hope the force of my arguments has convinced you of the error in your claim: "Mars was hit by the effects of a Supernova"

>> >> Instrinsic power << << so, as to make it understandable for those in 'my circles': A imploding planet's capacity to 'get the lead out

I was actually talking about the instrinsic power *of the supernova* and NOT the power of the planet impacted by its force.

So, if you will follow with me, please, my friend. Consider the star that is exploding.

Suppose its Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse is a giant-among-giants, so its likely to blow up with some enormous force. Other smaller stars, like Aldebaran in Taurus might also explode, but will do so a bit more gently.

That is what I mean by "intrinsic power." I.e., power of the supernova and not "power" of the planet.

If we consider a star system which lives in the neighborhood of one of these stars, maybe
"just" ten light years away, then it could suffer at least some effects, albeit small ones, from the detonations, although even then this would come mostly in the form of incident neutrinos and NOT in the form of actual matter on matter collision. Neutrinos CANNOT knock ANYBODY's atmosphere away - they are 'weaker' than the solar wind, in some ways. They COULD possibly cause cancer in animal life on planets.

Now consider humanity, living on Earth, which is about 900 light years from Betelguese and ALdebaran. We will get NO significant effects at all, because the explosion is diluted by remote distances. All we get is a month-long light show in the sky and then its "out out brief candle, a supernova is but a walking shadow, etc etc."

By the way, I've heard that Dave Walter does not like Shakespeare, but do you?

Doug