Asteroids: We Aren’t Prepared
NASA is looking, and does find asteroids. Unfortunately their efforts are far from comprehensive, and our planet is woefully under-prepared relative to our technical capabilities. A few months back New Scientist published what will hopefully be a wake-up call to politicians globally:
The asteroid is on a collision course with Earth. It is the size of a skyscraper and it’s big enough to raze a city to the ground. Oh, and it will be here in three days.
Far-fetched it might seem, but this scenario is all too plausible. Certainly it is realistic enough that the US air force recently brought together scientists, military officers and emergency-response officials for the first time to assess the nation’s ability to cope, should it come to pass.
They were asked to imagine how their respective organisations would respond to a mythical asteroid called Innoculatus striking the Earth after just three days’ warning. The asteroid consisted of two parts: a pile of rubble 270 metres across which was destined to splash down in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa, and a 50-metre-wide rock heading, in true Hollywood style, directly for Washington DC.
The exercise, which took place in December 2008, exposed the chilling dangers asteroids pose. Not only is there no plan for what to do when an asteroid hits, but our early-warning systems – which could make the difference between life and death – are woefully inadequate.
This graphic shows the areas in space that NASA checks for incoming asteroids. To be fair, these zones are where most would be likely to arrive from, but it is well short of the desired coverage:
Our chance of having any prior warning at all for an approaching 30-metre asteroid is no better than 25 to 35 per cent with existing sky surveillance, calculates astronomer Alan Harris of the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado (see graphic). The sun washes out half of the sky with daylight, blinding us to 50 per cent of threatening objects. Even glare from the moon can hide unwelcome incoming guests.
What’s more, two of the world’s three leading asteroid surveys are based in Arizona, including the Catalina Sky Survey, which discovered 2008 TC3. The region tends to cloud over between July and September…
Read more about asteroids and comets in 2012
Great article. Its about time somebody brought this up.
I could sell my home, use the equity to enjoy yself, or prepare.
Howevr if nothing happens, I'
m hooped.
The Mayans believed in the importance of time. They also said before 2012 there would be global warming the seas would rise, the ice will melt causing strange weather patterns. By recording it on their calendars, they believed they could transcend it.
Don’t you guys forget that planet x is supposed to crash into Earth and is predicted by ancient cultures that they have aliens hmm… Is this true well have you ever seen a U.F.O Ur answer is a pretty good chance thats a yes. Still not satsified? Go to youtube type in planet x most likely it will show results of aliens- Cameron Pachow