Discussion: Asteroids are Probably a Threat. ...

[Fraser]

SUMMARY: As potentially killer asteroids are announced on an almost yearly basis, the public is started to get a little jaded about the risks humanity faces. How can governments and space agencies confront a threat that can only be a "maybe" until it's too late to do anything about it? Here's my opinion.


Comments or questions about this story? Feel free to share your thoughts.

[Samarth]

Hi fraser,
It's interesting to note that no matter how much mankind has advanced & our space research crossed milestones,we r not yet capable of avoiding an asteroid.
Only large thrusters or an explosion(nuclear) can deter a asteroid from earth's path but we have been till now lucky thanks to jupiter,saturn.There is a need to have a effective method to handle such situations .I think the method of thrusters is far better than an explosion because it would be less expensive & more accurate .It's time all the agencies around the world join hands & save mankind from what probably happened to dinosaurs!!


Samarth

[RATNIK]

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Hey,

I like reading about asteroids and whats going on out there and right when I saw this story of an asteroid approaching the earth I wanted to add a lil comment about it too. It is true that we can hardly do anything about this situation, but it is possible with money and time, however it wouldnt be bad if we end up like dinosaurs because this world sort of needs that right now a big restart button to refresh itself. But I guess we came too far (at least in our minds) to think of such a thing. Also it is fun watching people battle these diff. difficulties as we progress through our lives...because some people think it would be good if there was no asteroid threats and I mean cmon how fun would that be B) . All for now later....

RATNIK B)

PS: So is this asteroid more likely to hit or miss anyways?

[Fraser]

The evidence is overwhelming saying "miss". But the problem is, what will governments do if there are several which may or may not hit, but we can't really be sure?

[Sisa]

:P Well when I heard about this asteriod I was a little bit anxious but then I thought that God is in control of all that happens. I think what people should realise is that no matter how much money is invested in that you cannot beat it. I think that its time that people leant that all these things that we dont understand were all made by God and he is watching and as long as we know and all agree that he alone is God and worship him the way we should then I figure out that we all are safe. Besides it is written in revelations that they will be things falling from the sky

[Ted Vierimaa]

About this Asteroid thing the BIBLE clearly says that in the "end of the world" (rather in the end of the civilization),~era,~inhabited earth) an asteroid or asteroids will hit the earth due to the wickedness of mankind in the last days (Dan2:44-45+Rev6+etc chapters)...This is the repetition of history (1cor10:11), because another ancient civilization claimed to contain both people and mammoths and dinosaurs co-existing, was destroyed in similar fashion if one want to believe those stories in the bible...My conclusion is that every technological effort should be taken to develop strategies to throw asteroids out of the path leading to thhis planet, but the ultimate decision what is going to hit the earth is not for man to decide but that of God.. So long... Ted Vierimaa, Elkford, British Columbia, Canada.

[RATNIK]

I dont want to go against someones beliefs but I think the future is created by us and our decisions decide weather we live or die. If we battle this crises we might live if we decide not to we might end up like dinos. It sort of leads tot hat cause and effect think but rather than discussing that lets try focusing on the subject. Not long ago I read in the news that they are working on developing this new defence system of which I think most of you know about, and it is supposed to protect us from any missile attacks. This defence system is set up in the orbit on the satellite form of object which will use laser guidence to eliminate any threat posing to this country. There would be 3 stations...one on earth, one in athmosphere or somewhere in there and the one in space. If the one in space ,misses the athmospheric one will shoot it down if not the one on earth is our last chance. Anyways, we can use this sort of system to do the same thing against the asteroids...but because people are buzy fighting themselves...who thinks about asteroids? until they come... B) All for now later...

RATNIK B)

[davepet]

just read your article on 5th September about Asteroids hitting the Earth, or rather
Near Missing The Earth. Personally, I think that it is good that Astronomers make
the wider population aware that we are in effect in constant danger from Asteroids.

The general population are largely unaware of the danger that Earth faces every day
whilst on our daily/yearly voyage through space.

For those of us who avidly read such sites as Universe Today (Brill site by the way, still),
Space.com and also such sites as News Alert are well aware of the dangers that Earth faces
every day. For that we thank you for keeping us aware.

The governments of the world (I feel personally) are so wrapped up in the present day
politics, that they feel that there is NOTHING more pressing than the issues that can or can't
keep them in power untill the next Election Day.

I have read somewhere, that if the Governments of the world got together to pay for a monitoring
system on a Global scale (to search for potential rogue Asteroids) it would cost each of us only a matter
of a few pence (or in your case, a few cents) to pay for the system, on top of our tax bills.

It's worth remembering that in the last couple of years, the three most potential chances of an Asteroid hitting
Earth have been found AFTER the said Asteroid has gone out of the glare of the Sun ie, after it has passed the Earth.

Now, as far as i'm concerned, it would be worth paying a little extra on our tax bill to pay for a system
that would be able to track these events well before they became a potential danger.

[davepet]

I'm sorry that what I put next is going to upset some people. Believe me when I say that all i'm writing is what I believe.

Judging from what other people have written, they believe that the demise of the Earth is pre ordained in the bible, and our demise is going to be due to the fact that an asteroid is going to hit the Earth and we should put our faith in God. One contributer even said that the bible says that things will hit the Earth from the sky, well rain comes from the sky and usually does no damage.

C'mon people, wake up and smell the coffee.

Have you people any idea about science? Do you still believe that the Earth was created in six days and that on the seventh day the Lord rested?

Let me educate you. The universe was created in a big bang 13 billion years ago. Our sun was made from the debris of an exploding star 500 million years ago and in another 500 million years it will die in another violent explosion and the debris that it forms will probably create another star millions of years in the future. The Earth itself was created over millions of years.

Asteroids are projected towards Earth because two or more of them have 'bumped' into each other and because of that they are thrown out of their normal orbit and they are sometimes sent onto a path that crosses the orbit of the Earth.

Do you really think that if there was a 'God' he would be hell bent on causing the mass extinction of mankind by sending an asteroid towards Earth? Wouldn't He be better off trying to help us with our problems?

When I die, if I go to that place that you call Heaven, for my 'Judgement day', it'll NOT be your God asking me the questions, it'll be me aking Him things like:
'How could you sit and watch as young children are abused and murdered?
How can you let people murder each other in wars that have no meaning?
How can you let extremist muslims hate christians and want to murder them in their thousands in one go?
How can you let millions of people exist with poverty and famine?'
How can you let the violence in the Middle East continue when there are thousands, if not millions of people in the region who want peace?

I thought that all of these people were supposed to be God's Children.

Don't forget that the bible is a collection of stories taken over a number of years and like chinese whispers from generation to generation these stories change.

So, as I said before, i'm not out to upset people and if you want to believe in God then that's fine by me, but please don't use the forums to 'spread the word of God'.There are probably enough forums on the net where you can do that.
The fact that Asteroids may impact on the Earth can be explained by science and it's not a cosmic game of pool where 'God' is a player who chalks His cue and says to himself 'this asteroid to that astroid to hit the pocket called Earth.

Well, that's me off the soap box, i'm off to read some more science.

[Fraser]

Well, the point of my story wasn't that astronomers should stop announcing the threat from asteroids. Only that because astronomers deal in probabilities, it'll be difficult for governments to take action. Asteroids or health care? Asteroids or military spending? It we've got 39 asteroids that have a reasonable risk to the Earth, how do we decide which ones to go after? Governments are notorioius procrastinators, so I think this kind of asteroid risk might just slip through the cracks.

[imported_Neil Armstrong]

Asteroids hit planets, it's the nature of things. Earth has been bombarded countless times during it's long history, the same goes for every other planet out there. Mercury's famous Caloris Basin was the result of a massive impact, Venus sustained impacts, the Earth, our own moon has taken a pounding- just look at all the craters on it. Jupiter took a good pounding as recently as 1994- remember comet Shoemaker-Levy 9? That was a good demonstartion that impacts still happen. With all the asteroids out there the odds are another impact will happen, the only question is when. More funding needs to be put into searching for these asteroids, perhaps a portion of our taxes should go towards it, makes sense.