Scientists Consider Asteroid Defense

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As a dabbler in amateur astronomy, I’ve been aware of the danger of Earth’s being struck by a very large rock for a number of years. The odds of that happening are extremely low, but if it does happen, it will definitely leave a mark 😛

There is a program called, I believe, NEAR, and run, I believe (there are two levels of ambiguity for you!) by NASA for discovering and tracking asteroids whose orbit crosses Earth’s. However, I do not believe that our current level of technology allows for a “defense” against an asteroid smackdown.

If you want to worry about it, go ahead. It won’t change anything. For my part, if I’m going to be killed by an asteroid strike or its aftermath, then I want to be sure to see the dang thing when it hits.

DaveBj
 
** More likely you will get hit by a bus while you are looking up at the sky.
**
 
An asteroid strike would likely stir up a lot of dust and cause global cooling.
 
JimG said:
Yeah, that would work. However, I understand that Mars now is also undergoing global warming. Must be those blasted Rovers exporting U.S. pollution.
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You’d think they’d have noticed how indians hunting mammoths in SUVs brought our last ice age to an end.😉
 
I once had a cartoon. It showed three men in white coats offering a platter to their boss. On the platter was a pile of gray dust with the sign “Dehydrated Elephant.”

They were saying: “Of course, it isn’t good for anything, but it shows what a lot of time and money will do for research.”

I think they have moved on to more grandiose projects.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
I once had a cartoon. It showed three men in white coats offering a platter to their boss. On the platter was a pile of gray dust with the sign “Dehydrated Elephant.”

They were saying: “Of course, it isn’t good for anything, but it shows what a lot of time and money will do for research.”

I think they have moved on to more grandiose projects.
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It seems to me that a wise scientist would jump on Asteroid Defense. As lucerative as “Global Warming” is, it will eventually either happen or not – and the goose laying the golden egg will die.

But the “Astroid Crisis” will go on forever.😉
 
While we’re at it, we need to figure out how to put a cork in the Yellowstone mega-volcano.

DaveBj
 
DaveBj said:
While we’re at it, we need to figure out how to put a cork in the Yellowstone mega-volcano.

DaveBj
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Hmm…“put a cork in it.” I think I’ve used that line in debating environmental issues. 😃
 
DaveBj said:
While we’re at it, we need to figure out how to put a cork in the Yellowstone mega-volcano.

DaveBj
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And if we could shoot the cork out, we could knock down the incoming-asteroid.😃
 
I thought they figured this out in the late 1970s… you fly around in a little ship, with buttons to control thrust & rotation, and buttons for your laser cannon and hyperspace, and you get a free ship after you blow up enough asteroids, but watch out for those sneaky UFOs!

gamesgnome.com/arcade/asteroids/
 
JimG said:
An asteroid strike would likely stir up a lot of dust and cause global cooling.
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I saw I scientist on C-SPAN’s BookTV talking about this. He said if Apophis hits it will be in the Pacific Ocean ~500 miles W of Santa Monica.
This will cause a series of tsunamis the likes of which have never been seen. So goodbye Sodom & Gomorrah (SF & LA), along signs of human civilisation on the west coast.
 
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