UN is told that Earth needs an asteroid shield - Guardian

Toiletroll

A group of the world's leading scientists has urged the United Nations to establish an international network to search the skies for asteroids on a collision course with Earth. The spaceguard system would also be responsible for deploying spacecraft that could destroy or deflect incoming objects.

The group - which includes the Royal Society president Lord Rees and environmentalist Crispin Tickell - said that the UN needed to act as a matter of urgency. Although an asteroid collision with the planet is a relatively remote risk, the consequences of a strike would be devastating.

An asteroid that struck the Earth 65 million years ago wiped out the dinosaurs and 70 per cent of the species then living on the planet. The destruction of the Tunguska region of Siberia in 1908 is known to have been caused by the impact of a large extraterrestrial object.

'The international community must begin work now on forging three impact prevention elements - warning, deflection technology and a decision-making process - into an effective defence against a future collision,' said the International Panel on Asteroid Threat Mitigation, which is chaired by former American astronaut Russell Schweickart. The panel made its presentation at the UN's building in Vienna.

The risk of a significantly sized asteroid - defined by the panel as being more than 45 metres in diameter - striking the Earth has been calculated at two or three such events every 1,000 years, a rare occurrence, though such a collision would dwarf all other natural disasters in recent history.

The panel added that developments in telescope design mean that, by 2020, it should be possible to pinpoint about 500,000 asteroids in orbit round the Sun and study their movements. Of these, several dozen will be revealed to pose threats to Earth, the panel added.
However, the group warned it would be impossible to predict exactly which of these 'at-risk' asteroids would actually strike until it was very close to our planet. By then, it would be too late to take action.

As a result, the panel said it would be necessary to launch missions to deflect or destroy asteroids that have only a one in 10, or even a one in 100, risk of hitting our planet. 'Over the next 10 to 15 years, the process of discovering asteroids will likely identify dozens of new objects threatening enough that they will require proactive decisions by the United Nations,' the report added. In addition, such missions will have to be launched well ahead of a predicted impact, so that slight deflections by spaceships can induce major changes in an asteroid's paths years later. The world will not be able to rely on Bruce Willis saving it from an asteroid at the last minute as he does in Armageddon, in other words. Considerable planning and forethought will be needed.

Funding such missions will therefore require far greater investment than is currently being made by international authorities. At present, about $4m (£2.7m) a year is spent by Nasa on asteroid detection, while the European Space Agency's planned mission to study the asteroid Apophis - which astronomers calculate has a 1 in 45,000 chance of striking the Earth this century - is likely to be a modest project costing only a few tens of millions of dollars.

By contrast, any effective protection system will require funding of about $100m (£68m) a year to provide a full survey of the skies, combined with investment in spacecraft that can reach an asteroid and then deflect it. This would be achieved either by crashing the spacecraft on to the asteroid or by triggering a nuclear explosion in space.

However, the cost of such missions should not be used as an excuse for failing to act, added the panel. 'We are no longer passive victims of the impact process,' it concluded. 'We cannot shirk the responsibility.'

URL="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/dec/07/space-technology-asteroid-shield"]source[/URL

Bob the Builder

Thats stupid.

galwayrush

FFS don't involve the irish goverment, the'll spend all the funds on advisors, then start it 10 years too late:eek:

Adamcp898

galwayrush wrote: »

FFS don't involve the irish goverment, the'll spend all the funds on advisors, then start it 10 years too late:eek:

Not ot mention build the thing too small or at an angle to protect the moon and not ourselves

Terry

Can I be Steve Buscemi?

galwayrush

Adamcp898 wrote: »

Not ot mention build the thing too small or at an angle to protect the moon and not ourselves

Don't forget the Space Bog Cotton.:mad: Wonder where the Greens stand on this, is protecting the earth against the natural order of things?:D

Adamcp898

galwayrush wrote: »

Don't forget the Space Bog Cotton.:mad: Wonder where the Greens stand on this, is protecting the earth against the natural order of things?:D

The fact we'd be interfering with a natural occurance (even though it would kill us) is enough for them to be against such an idea so much so they'd have a committee set up and a new tax introduced to finace the APA (asteroid protection agency)

galwayrush

Adamcp898 wrote: »

The fact we'd be interfering with a natural occurance (even though it would kill us) is enough for them to be against such an idea so much so they'd have a committee set up and a new tax introduced to finace the APA (asteroid protection agency)

They might however stop FF putting a Toll on it.:rolleyes:

redtom

Tragic if we could put something in place but "couldn't afford to"...

BroomBurner

The Guardian ran a story during the week about how rockets, etc. going up in to space are damaging the ozone layer much more than was previously assumed and that it would be counter-productive to set up some sort of mirror/sheild to protect us against solar flares/suns heat as the more they go up, the more damage they cause.

What's the point in sending loads of rockets in to space to protect us from a possible asteroid when it's a definite that they would be destroying the Earth's atmospheric ability to protect us from the regular day to day sun?

Toiletroll

BroomBurner wrote: »

The Guardian ran a story during the week about how rockets, etc. going up in to space are damaging the ozone layer much more than was previously assumed and that it would be counter-productive to set up some sort of mirror/sheild to protect us against solar flares/suns heat as the more they go up, the more damage they cause.

What's the point in sending loads of rockets in to space to protect us from a possible asteroid when it's a definite that they would be destroying the Earth's atmospheric ability to protect us from the regular day to day sun?

Doesnt have to be a rocket...

Google "Virgin Galactic" - Yes they really are doing flights to space in 2012 (Richard Bransons own Space Race)

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Did no one else watch Armageddon for the first time and go to themselves "That'd be awesome!!!"
If they did set up deflector shields the hope of having the 3D Armageddon Experience is gone.

Also, gotta love that they're studying an asteroid called Apophis.
You just know there was some sci-fi guy there looking for funding that project and using the argument "the asteroid is named after a villain in Stargate, it must be dangerous."

antodeco

Just put Mary Harney in its way /to bounce off and we'l all be grand.

Terry

CaptainNegative wrote: »

Did no one else watch Armageddon for the first time and go to themselves "That'd be awesome!!!"
If they did set up deflector shields the hope of having the 3D Armageddon Experience is gone.

Also, gotta love that they're studying an asteroid called Apophis.
You just know there was some sci-fi guy there looking for funding that project and using the argument "the asteroid is named after a villain in Stargate, it must be dangerous."

Terry wrote: »

Can I be Steve Buscemi?

ShooterSF

Damn greens. If they had their way we'd reduce our carbon footprint too, reducing greenhouse gases that we need to burn up the asteroid on entry.
They'll be the death of us.

EDIT: Greens - The Pro Asteroid Death Party

Highsider

What a waste of time. Just nuke them when they get near the earth FFS:rolleyes:

galwayrush

Highsider wrote: »

What a waste of time. Just nuke them when they get near the earth FFS:rolleyes:

Just wait until they look for planning permission for the Nukes.:P

galwayrush

antodeco wrote: »

Just put Mary Harney in its way /to bounce off and we'l all be grand.

We could use her bare arse as some kind of reflector. Use the suns rays and bounce them off her bum, enviromentally friendly / low carbon footprint, and the greens won't object.

Overheal

Decemember 21, 2012...

Captain Slow IRL

That's ridiculous. Any asteroid would be burned up the ozone before it struck the earth, leaving it the size of a chihuahua's head. Which is even more of an excuse to protect the ozone. (Hope there's no Green's reading this, they'll be creaming their panties)

What they should be doing is coming up with a solution to when someone clones dinosaurs and they run rampant. Now that's some scary ****.

Capt'n Midnight

BroomBurner wrote: »

The Guardian ran a story during the week about how rockets, etc. going up in to space are damaging the ozone layer much more than was previously assumed and that it would be counter-productive to set up some sort of mirror/sheild to protect us against solar flares/suns heat as the more they go up, the more damage they cause.

What's the point in sending loads of rockets in to space to protect us from a possible asteroid when it's a definite that they would be destroying the Earth's atmospheric ability to protect us from the regular day to day sun?

www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/07/siberias-tungus.htm Possible the greatest factoid from the Tunguska Event however, is that if it had taken place a mere 4 hours and 47 minutes later, due to the Earth’s rotation, St. Petersburg would have been completely obliterated.

galwayrush

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

What they should be doing is coming up with a solution to when someone clones dinosaurs and they run rampant. Now that's some scary ****.

I'm worried about the weird bacteria / bugs that will be revived with cloning extinct animals.:rolleyes:

galwayrush

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/07/siberias-tungus.htm Possible the greatest factoid from the Tunguska Event however, is that if it had taken place a mere 4 hours and 47 minutes later, due to the Earth’s rotation, St. Petersburg would have been completely obliterated.

Scary thought, then again, two hours sooner it might have been Tuam.:D

Galvasean

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

What they should be doing is coming up with a solution to when someone clones dinosaurs and they run rampant. Now that's some scary ****.

Simple we just call in the meteors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-ctdhU5bp8

asdasd

That's ridiculous. Any asteroid would be burned up the ozone before it struck the earth, leaving it the size of a chihuahua's head. Which is even more of an excuse to protect the ozone. (Hope there's no Green's reading this, they'll be creaming their panties)

not all would. thats why we are discussing this.

Overheal

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

That's ridiculous. Any asteroid would be burned up the ozone before it struck the earth, leaving it the size of a chihuahua's head. Which is even more of an excuse to protect the ozone. (Hope there's no Green's reading this, they'll be creaming their panties)

What they should be doing is coming up with a solution to when someone clones dinosaurs and they run rampant. Now that's some scary ****.

You mean that big layer of gasses covering the earth that has been in decay for the last century? What do you think happens if an asteroid managed to hit the North or South Pole, where Ozone cover is sparse or non-existent. Also objects of a certain size will be too big to be burned up in the atmosphere anyway: and at least a portion of the mass would get through. An asteroid 2 miles wide hits earth: 50% of it gets burned up in the atmosphere. How many minutes does johnny have left to live? show your work and take pi to be 3.14.

thelordofcheese

asdasd wrote: »

not all would. thats why we are discussing this.

You've forgotten the old rule:

Interesting topic + AH = Clusterfuck of a thread.

This is pretty cool stuff, but actually discussing this here is as futile as trying to have a thread about the HSE that doesn't contain 11billion shitty "harney is fat" jokes.

Terry

Hey, if it thins the herd, then it can't be bad.

I'll sit here comfortable in my first developed world home and watch it all on sky news.

galwayrush

Terry wrote: »

Hey, if it thins the herd, then it can't be bad.

I'll sit here comfortable in my first developed world home and watch it all on sky news.

It might hit the Sky News studio:p

Overheal

Damn those mole people. Planning ahead.

Donald-Duck

Highsider wrote: »

What a waste of time. Just nuke them when they get near the earth FFS:rolleyes:

First off I'm pretty sure we don't have nukes that go into space.

Second of all, that would just split the asteroid when it got close, meaning it would still do a huge amount of damage

Overheal

I imagine that given the alternative of an Extinction Level Event, it would be a relatively simple thing to refit ICBMs for high-orbit interception. Hell if the world werent so paranoid of itself we could just keep missiles ready to launch at Earth's Lagrange Points, to intercept from even farther away.

Nodin

galwayrush wrote: »

We could use her bare arse as some kind of reflector. Use the suns rays and bounce them off her bum, enviromentally friendly / low carbon footprint, and the greens won't object.

So you want to pull the kaks offof Harney, eh? You're the kind of fellah thats given perversion a bad name.....

Hopefully it won't land on America. The whining would go on for millenia....

galwayrush

Nodin wrote: »

So you want to pull the kaks offof Harney, eh? You're the kind of fellah thats given perversion a bad name.....

Hopefully it won't land on America. The whining would go on for millenia....

Never thought of that................. screams and runs away:eek:

BrokenArrows

Highsider wrote: »

What a waste of time. Just nuke them when they get near the earth FFS:rolleyes:

ya and then just blow it into loads of big pieces they reign down all over the world as radioactive rocks. good work.

BrokenArrows

Adamcp898 wrote: »

Not ot mention build the thing too small or at an angle to protect the moon and not ourselves

well the moon is very important too. if anything large ever hits the moon it will after its orbital path resulting in a change in the world wide ocean currents. this will cause major flooding in some areas.

or possibly a worse case destroy the moon sending a shattered moon into the path of earth.

Capt'n Midnight

galwayrush wrote: »

I'm worried about the weird bacteria / bugs that will be revived with cloning extinct animals.:rolleyes:

Don't lookup Lake Vostok then.

drunkmonkey

Overheal wrote: »

Decemember 21, 2012...

I'm starting that morning with an Irish Coffee:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lhs7VR52Bg

AlmightyCushion

This money would be better spent on a massive trampoline which we can use to bounce the asteroid away.

Overheal

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I'm starting that morning with an Irish Coffee:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lhs7VR52Bg

Been doing some random googling on this matter.

Now, lets assume for a moment that the polar shift wont happen fast enough to be catastrophic in that way - no tidal waves and all that hoo hah. The going theory is still that it will cause wild climate alterations, and equatorial and temporately climatised areas will get swapped around, or become arctic, and all that. Ok.

But then theres this other thing I though about: if there is a polar shift and/or a depolarisation (however temporary) of Earth's magnetic field, and that magnetic field is the thing protecting us from the solar wind; what happens when the planet is bombarded naked by solar winds? Even if only for a few minutes to a few hours? to a few days? Will it just start stripping off our atmoshpere, or what?

AlmightyCushion

Overheal wrote: »

But then theres this other thing I though about: if there is a polar shift and/or a depolarisation (however temporary) of Earth's magnetic field, and that magnetic field is the thing protecting us from the solar wind; what happens when the planet is bombarded naked by solar winds? Even if only for a few minutes to a few hours? to a few days? Will it just start stripping off our atmoshpere, or what?

Yup, I think that's the reason mars is the way it is. No magnetic field.

Overheal

Doesnt it?

But anyway my point being I'd like to know if the supposed polar shift will leave the earth vulnerable to solar wind.

rossie1977

Highsider wrote: »

What a waste of time. Just nuke them when they get near the earth FFS:rolleyes:

lol, asteriods 6 miles across travelling @ 26,000 mph creating craters 190 miles across have hit the earth in the past, you could fire all of earth nukes at one of those and it wouldn't scratch it

ordinary_story

Doesnt anybody watch the movies, from them we can assume well be safe. the only areas vulnerable to asteroid/alien/nuclear mutants are:

America
Paris
Sydney
and London

Generally anywhere there is some form of historic landmark. The only high risk areas here are possibly Blarney castle or the giants causeway.

Varkov

CaptainNegative wrote: »

Also, gotta love that they're studying an asteroid called Apophis.
You just know there was some sci-fi guy there looking for funding that project and using the argument "the asteroid is named after a villain in Stargate, it must be dangerous."

Ever wonder where the ****ing name for the Villain came from?

Smart Bug

AH could use a bullshit thread shield.

dlofnep

I think such a system is very important to earth. We can all laugh and joke about it now, but I tell you - if in 20 years some asteroid was on-course for a direct hit, we'd be begging for such a system.

I'm willing to put my tax towards it. No problem.

ART6

There isn't a problem. Sooner rather than later the European Commission will issue a Directive requiring all member states to declare a strike by an asteroid or meteorite illegal. Problem solved.

*In Ireland we might have to call a referendum on that. It will be lost. The strike will happen while we are debating when to call the next one*