The launched material—comets, asteroids (including the irregular moons2 captured by the giant planets), and TNOs—totaled about 3% of Earth’s mass. Table 36 estimates the magnitude of this energy. Some factors were derived in the comet and asteroid chapters (pages 310– 375).
Perhaps twice this energy was needed because a small amount of other mass (such as meteoroids and water) was launched besides that listed in Table 36 and some heat was held in the chamber’s ceiling and floor. Let’s assume that the total energy required was 2.2 × 1038 ergs.3 Since this energy was released over many weeks, it is more accurately described as coming from an “engine”—an “Earth-size nuclear engine” (as you will see)—not an explosion.
Notice in Table 36 that much more energy is needed to launch into space the rocks and water that later became TNOs than that needed to form comets, the irregular moons, and asteroids in the inner solar system. Unfortunately, great uncertainty exists on the total mass of all TNOs. [See Endnote 149 on page 375.]