[X] My Assistant

[Guest_PhilCo126_*]

The Near-Earth Asteroid 99942 Apophis ( former designation 2004 MN4 ) was headline news again this week both in Newspapers & TV news. Observations pointed out that the Asteroid climbed a bit higher on the Torino impact hazard scale ( equivalent cosmic ‘Richter’ scale ) and could hit the Earth ( Southern Hemisphere ) on April 13, 2036 ( a Friday 13th I believe ).

Anyway, Apophis should pass between the Moon & Earth ( distance 250.000 KM ) in April 2029 … an amazing sight visible from Europe!
Interesting to know is the fact that European Space Agency ESA plans a mission to find out if an asteroid could be deflected from its course ( Don Quichote mission: Hidalgo is an impacter & Sancho is the observer probe ). American astronauts LU & LOVE wrote a paper in NATURE about a tug-rocket and NASA is making plans for a mission called ‘ The Son of Deep Impact ‘ … to be continued…



More on the Asteroid at:
http://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/mission_analysis/asteroid.htm


Philip

[Guest_Richard Trigaux_*]

Important things in the discutio above, JRehling, RNeuhaus, dvandorn:


To avoid a future collision with an asteroid, it is enough to give it a very small push at the right moment (just before a close encounter with a planet) and this is mostly achievable with today or near future technology.

The chaotic aspect of their trajectory, which makes this trajectory difficult to predict, especially after a close encounter (this is called, I think, sensitive dependency to initial conditions) turns to our advantage: a very small tug just before a close encounter allows to completelly change the future trajectory.

Eventually crashing all the Earth threatening objects on other planets is not a bad idea. This would allow us for a safe future, even in the case in which we abandon any high technology.

By the way, nuking asteroids, as it was proposed by some who have nukes but who rather don't know what to do with, is just sheer deliria: the asteroid would be broken apart, but all the pieces would continue on the same trajectory (this is basic celestial mechanics). So, in place of receiving a huge asteroid, we would receive several small ones, plus the radioactive wastes of the bomb. It is not sure that it would be better.