NEOShield

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Profile William Rothamel
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Message 1188870 - Posted: 27 Jan 2012, 15:32:15 UTC - in response to Message 1188835.  

A really good idea. If we blast it apart the center of mass will remain on the collision trajectory. Smaller pieces may burn up in the atmosphere more readily than a larger object.
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Message 1190946 - Posted: 2 Feb 2012, 13:55:09 UTC

A lot of a possible defense is determining what the composition is, as they pointed out in the article. It can be anything from loose gravel and ice, to an iron/nickle juggernaut. And of course, size matters.....

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Profile Bob DeWoody
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Message 1190979 - Posted: 2 Feb 2012, 16:07:18 UTC

Sadly, I think we will have to suffer a nasty hit before any real progress is made to protect the earth from big rocks falling from the sky. Maybe we will get lucky and a NEO will collide with the moon creating a big light show and wake up those who control the purse strings.
Bob DeWoody

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Message 1191121 - Posted: 3 Feb 2012, 2:42:56 UTC - in response to Message 1190979.  


You're probably right about that, Bob. A NEOShield sounds like a more than worthwhile endeavor, but I don't think it will happen. Not any time soon.

Even though recent events have occured:

1993's Shoemaker-Levy 9 was all the convincing I'll ever need!

Also, there is the 12th century event witnessed by Monks which was likely an object colliding with the moon. That is less than 1K years ago, which is less than an eye-blink in cosmological time.


Lt

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Message boards : Science (non-SETI) : NEOShield


 
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