It has been mentioned elsewhere on the forum, the fact that we are due for an Asteroid strike. Assuming that we do, at sometime in the near future, do our World leaders have any contihgency plans to put into place to deal with such a threat.
I am presuming that if we have the solution, it is viable, however, IF the Asteroid is so large than it can’t be destroyed prior to it hitting Earth, what would you do, considering that it would be , say in 6 months time?.
Lincoln. 7
By: JT442 - 27th February 2011 at 23:25
Source please.
The NEO’s I can find in 2009 were all less than 10 metres wide. That would give us a Fireball and a big shock wave but no ELE.
My drunken apologies. It was 2002, spotted DAYS before it passed and On soberly reading, it was not extinction level, but would still ruin your haircut. Estimated up to 120m wide. The report I read last night claimed it was bigger than a football pitch. This one seems a bit more reliable….
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news128.html
Here’s a short list of NEOs expected until June….
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/
Nothing REALLY big or REALLY close spotted so far……
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/neo_ca?type=NEO&hmax=14&sort=date&sdir=ASC&tlim=future&dmax=0.1AU&max_rows=0&action=Display+Table&show=1
These ones are all close (within 5 lunar distances) and around 670 m (H18)- 5km (H15.5)
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/neo_ca?type=NEO&hmax=18&sort=date&sdir=ASC&tlim=future&dmax=5LD&max_rows=0&action=Display+Table&show=1
By: PeeDee - 27th February 2011 at 23:19
Amusing given that an extinction event sized NEO passed earth in 2009, 1/3 of the distance away than the moon is…. AND it wasn’t spotted until mere weeks away…..
Source please.
The NEO’s I can find in 2009 were all less than 10 metres wide. That would give us a Fireball and a big shock wave but no ELE.
By: Lincoln 7 - 27th February 2011 at 19:10
Yes the thing that surprises me is that (If one beleives what you hear) that all the telescopes, dishes etc seem to be facing one way.
Anyone know if there are any “Rules, which state that telescope, dish or other means of seeing into space must face a certain way, or is it up to the peron in charge of the facility?.
Another point of interest to me is how long has S.E.T.I. been searching the skies, the last I heard was that it is being financed by a body other than the Government, since it pulled the plug.
Lincoln .7
By: JT442 - 27th February 2011 at 16:56
Amusing given that an extinction event sized NEO passed earth in 2009, 1/3 of the distance away than the moon is…. AND it wasn’t spotted until mere weeks away…..
By: Lincoln 7 - 27th February 2011 at 15:56
JT 442.
I have taken time out to read the second (Very Long) report on the Wiki site you pointed out, makes frightning reading, especialy as it would appear we would need YEARS of warning, to be able, should we have the means, to stop one, larger than stated.
Lincoln .7
By: Lincoln 7 - 27th February 2011 at 15:52
O.K. G.A. Your the Boss, point noted and logged.
Lincoln .7
By: Grey Area - 27th February 2011 at 07:30
Moderator Message
Thanks for the info pal, at least even I, (A mere troll according to some) …
Let it drop, Lincoln 7.
With immediate effect, if you please.
Remember Newton’s Third Law of Motion……
Thanks
GA
By: Al - 27th February 2011 at 06:46
These days we take technology for granted, and think that mankind can overcome any obstacle or problem, but Mother Nature keeps proving us totally insignificant and inadequate.
In the Sci-Fi movies, the asteroid or comet is seen a long way out, the geeky scientists look at their screens, type at high speed on their computers with their scrawny fingers, then send the under-educated ethnic hero out on a dangerous journey to destroy it. He somehow survives the suicide mission, saves the planet, and wins back his ex-wife and kids who thought he was really a loser.
Truth is, Jupiter has been hit a few times again since the Shoemaker-Levy impacts of 1994, only observed because of the tell-tale (and Earth-sized!) post-impact scars left in the atmosphere – the scientists didn’t see them coming. They only knew about the Shoemaker-Levi impacts in advance because they were caused by a comet, and therefore luminous!
The Jupiter comet impact did teach us one thing however – breaking up one of these giant bodies is a bad idea. The comet broke up into several pieces before impact, and instead of one massive impact, there were lots of huge impacts, making a potential hit on the populated areas of Earth much more likely, like a scatter-gun effect.
These objects are cartainly out there, but we have to take solace from the fact that giant Earth impacts have usually heralded a spurt of more evolved life. Maybe the next intelligent species inheriting the Earth will look after it better…
By: Bruggen 130 - 27th February 2011 at 02:28
Red Giants shed mass quickly as the gravitational forces on the outer limits of the star are considerably reduced.
problem is, by the time the sun gets big enough to do that, we’d be toast. A typical red giant is some 600 times the size of our sun, which would put it past Mars’ orbit by the time it started losing mass.]
That is the point I was trying to make about pee dee’s comment that the earth would move away as the sun lost mass, if the sun was 10 times as big as it is now it would still have the same mass. it would not push the earth
away it would as it expanded.
By: JT442 - 27th February 2011 at 01:55
Damn… i’d just IMDB’d it……. actually 2007, starring Cliff Curtis……
By: PeeDee - 27th February 2011 at 01:50
Anyway, we’d restart the Sun with a very large Nuke.
What was that film!! It was a flop in the Box office but I loved it.
Edit. “Sunshine” in 2008
Why does it always come into my head after I’ve posted!
By: PeeDee - 27th February 2011 at 01:47
The solar wind will will push the sail in the opposite to the Sun, so it WILL drag like a chute.
I know this. The context of the questionning was leading to the fact it would be as quick as a chute.Why should it’s mass be less as it gets bigger?
It’s burning away, there will come a point where it actually burns more than it creates. There is a bit of both at the moment.
As it burns away, the gases will be lighter. But I see what you are saying, where has the mass actually gone? 1 ton of “Stuff” burns. 50% of it is in gas…but 50% is in ash. Repeat the cycle….it will give you Zeno’s paradox……but the mass is still 1 ton, even though it is now 99.99999999999999999% gas. So, the gas must escape from the sun altogether, thus making it less mass. Solar wind and Northern lights will be good in those years!Oh and it’s Professor Steven Hawking not Hawkins
That one aint mine.
in the text.
By: JT442 - 27th February 2011 at 01:41
Why should it’s mass be less as it gets bigger?
Red Giants shed mass quickly as the gravitational forces on the outer limits of the star are considerably reduced.
problem is, by the time the sun gets big enough to do that, we’d be toast. A typical red giant is some 600 times the size of our sun, which would put it past Mars’ orbit by the time it started losing mass.
interesting article: http://www.universetoday.com/12648/will-earth-survive-when-the-sun-becomes-a-red-giant/
By: Bruggen 130 - 27th February 2011 at 01:10
The “Wind” is not the one that takes out your fence. It won’t drag like a parachute.
Note 1. There is a possibility that as the Sun grows into a Red Giant, it’s mass will be reducing….so the pull on the Earth will be less,
The solar wind will will push the sail in the opposite to the Sun, so it WILL drag like a chute.
Why should it’s mass be less as it gets bigger?
Oh and it’s Professor Steven Hawking not Hawkins
By: PeeDee - 27th February 2011 at 01:10
If I live long enough to be around when an asteroid is on a collision course with the Earth, I’d just carry on as normal…no point in worrying/panicing about it…not a lot I can do to stop it. I’d just accept it, and enjoy life whilst it lasts!;)
erm, live long enough?
Could be next year!
By: cloud_9 - 27th February 2011 at 01:03
If I live long enough to be around when an asteroid is on a collision course with the Earth, I’d just carry on as normal…no point in worrying/panicing about it…not a lot I can do to stop it. I’d just accept it, and enjoy life whilst it lasts!;)
By: PeeDee - 27th February 2011 at 00:51
All we need to do is zap it with Lazer. Treat it as a big gallstone.
Then, we will save the planet AND have a meteor shower worthy of getting the camera on a tripod!
Win Win. Next!
By: JT442 - 26th February 2011 at 23:51
from the last ten minutes of frantic googing, it looks like the only advancement has been the passing of a Near Earth Objects survey budget…
By: Lincoln 7 - 26th February 2011 at 23:41
Thanks for the info pal, at least even I, (A mere troll according to some) can understand that.Reading the 1st part, that was in 88 and awaiting ratification by Congress, I wonder if it ever got passed?.
Thanks again.
Lincoln .7
By: JT442 - 26th February 2011 at 23:34
One solar sail idea. (big words, sorry chaps…. 😛 )
http://www.universetoday.com/12906/an-elegant-proposal-for-near-earth-asteroid-deflection/
From my high level deductions (half sober, late at night) I can give you the primary school version:
Hit the meteor with something big enough to slow it down a bit. By the time it reaches a its collision point, the earth will have moved enough to avoid it. Hurrah, tea and biscuits time.
some good ones here: (half way down the page)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_impact_avoidance
The White paint theory is known as the Yarkovsky effect, but it would only work on asteroids smaller than 10km diameter
Personally, I’m going to adopt the Wile E Coyote stance and purchase a small umbrella…..
…or wear a hard hat AND high visibility vest – I will be invincible!
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February 25, 2011 at 12:21 pm