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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53082475
Just read this and got to thinking, is this something that should be taken more seriously by our leaders if it isn't already?
Covid caught us unawares and look at the deaths and disruption that has caused.
There's one due in December according to this leaked calendar.
https://twitter.com/kayalif1/status/1276930666538635267?s=20
is this something that should be taken more seriously by our leaders
I think out policy would be to take it on the chin.
Was a great game.
You should get some ointment.
Duck or Grouse
At this point I think I would welcome a cataclysmic asteroid impact just to take my mind off everything else...
Probably fair to say that at the moment we could really apply ourselves, and build up a totally reliable early warning system, at a lot of expense and diversion from other space projects. But that would just mean we'd know in advance when we were going to get thumped, since we wouldn't really be able to do anything about it.
There already is a lot of observation being carried out isn't there?
Probably fair to say that at the moment we could really apply ourselves, and build up a totally reliable early warning system, at a lot of expense and diversion from other space projects. But that would just mean we’d know in advance when we were going to get thumped, since we wouldn’t really be able to do anything about it.
Wake up at the back! This system already exists, and has done for some time; NASA regularly announce large asteroids which are going to pass fairly close, by astronomical standards: there was one within the last couple of weeks, I believe.
https://www.fallingstar.com/home.php
https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/nasa-asteroid-threat-early-warning/news-story/dc35d4525d15a4aecc20ff3cb35b5efe
Yes, but it basically tracks known knowns- they estimate they know about 97% of the really big ones that are predictable visitors- dinosaur killers- and about half of the 140m-plus ones which are more city-killers, year-without-summer causers, etc.Though both of those are estimates of course. But much smaller items are dangerous- the Chelyabinsk bolide was IIRC about 20 metres, a tiddler, and estimates of the tunguska object start from 50 metres, that would have sucked if it'd been over the Bronx...
But there's also the erratics- totally loose bodies, comets that we've not seen before- and for that you need enormous, constant sky-mapping.
Unless we can detect them years away from impact then it's useless as an early warning system with the aim to protect the planet. It would take years to deploy some form of rocket to intercept the asteroid/meteor far enough away from the Earth to actually deal with it.
The best we could do is to identify objects that are orbiting the solar system and forecast a future collision with Earth so on an earlier close flyby intercept it, attach some form of thrusters to it so it can be gently nudged off path over a period of years.
It's a low risk though. Meteor strikes that are mass extinction level events are extremely rare...you're talking every half a billion years or so...maybe less. In a billion years the earth will be uninhabitable anyway as the sun will start to intensify in brightness as it starts turning into a Red Dwarf, so the chances are it's a bullet we're highly likely to avoid. Besides the intense gravitational pull of the Sun and Jupiter have acted as very effective forcefields so far and will remain to be our biggest protectors.
He was told to "shut up and go away". Which has essentially happened, he's playing with his telescopes on a hill far far away. It's the start of a plucky underdog genius saves the world film, but without the saccharine climax. I don't really buy the ability to 'nudge' any NEO object away from impact. The speeds are phenomenal and the Russian one was hidden by the Sun until far too late to even attempt deflection. Just note how long it takes to get a rocket into space without any time pressure. Bruce Willis said Aerosmith won't save us this time around, if it comes it comes. The chances as said are too vanishingly small to worry about. The tracking and finding projects are more endeavours in science and learning than any realistic global defence.
we wouldn’t really be able to do anything about it.
I’m sorry but we have Bruce Willis, Sly Stallone and Arnie. I’m sure the skills developed in averting other catastrophes are easily transferred to dealing with a bit of space rock. Elon Musk probably already has the “hardware”. Pessimist!