Hazards Due To Comets And Asteroids

Author : Tom Gehrels,Mildred Shapley Matthews,A. M. Schumann
Publisher : University of Arizona Press
Page : 1340 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 1994
Category : Science
ISBN : 0816515050

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Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids by Tom Gehrels,Mildred Shapley Matthews,A. M. Schumann Pdf

In 1993, the U.S. Department of Defense declassified information dealing with frequent explosions in the upper atmosphere caused by meteoric impact. It is estimated that impacts have occurred of a magnitude equivalent to the atomic bomb detonated at Hiroshima. Not all such space voyagers meet their end in the atmosphere, however; huge craters attest to the bombardment of earth over millions of years, and a major impact may have resulted in the extinction of dinosaurs. An impact in Siberia near the beginning of this century proves that such events are not confined to geologic time. Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids marks a significant step in the attempt to come to grips with the threats posed by such phenomena. It brings together more than one hundred scientists from around the world, who draw on observational and theoretical research to focus on the technical problems related to all aspects of dealing with these hazards: searching for and identifying hazardous comets and asteroids; describing their statistics and characteristics; intercepting and altering the orbits of dangerous objects; and applying existent technologies—rocket boosters, rendezvous and soft-landing techniques, instrumentation—to such missions. The book considers defensive options for diverting or disrupting an approaching body, including solar sails, kinetic-energy impacts, nuclear explosives, robotic mass drivers, and various propulsion systems. A cataclysmic impact posing a threat to life on Earth is a possibility that tomorrow's technology is capable of averting. This book examines in depth the reality of the threat and proposes practical measures that can be initiated now should we ever need to deal with it.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 1994
Category : Electronic
ISBN : OCLC:497847226

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Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids by Anonim Pdf

Author : M. J. S. Belton
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 448 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2004-09-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 0521827647

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Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids by M. J. S. Belton Pdf

It is known that large asteroids and comets can collide with the Earth with severe consequences. Although the chances of a collision in a person's lifetime are small, collisions are a random process and could occur at any time. This book collects the latest thoughts and ideas of scientists concerned with mitigating the threat of hazardous asteroids and comets. It reviews current knowledge of the population of potential colliders, including their numbers, locations, orbits, and how warning times might be improved. The structural properties and composition of their interiors and surfaces are reviewed, and their orbital response to the application of pulses of energy is discussed. Difficulties of operating in space near, or on the surface of, very low mass objects are examined. The book concludes with a discussion of the problems faced in communicating the nature of the impact hazard to the public.

Author : Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 137 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2022-03-08
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783030951245

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Asteroid Impact Risk by Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez Pdf

This book describes the complexity of impact hazards associated with asteroids and comets. The challenge in this regard lies in the heterogeneous nature of these bodies that endanger our planet, which is why we are conducting new experiments to better understand their unique physicochemical properties. Several generations of astronomers have tracked and mapped the orbits of asteroids and comets over the past few centuries, and telescopic surveys have only begun to discover “new” interstellar objects. In addition, cutting-edge software allow our computers to combine the orbits of these elusive bodies to study how they evolve over time and seek to match asteroid complexes as fragments of asteroidal and cometary disruptions. Impact hazards represent one of the greatest threats to the survival of human beings in the medium term. Geological studies show that the stratigraphic record holds clear geological evidence of these rare but transcendental encounters in the history of life on our planet. The study and quantification of past catastrophes can give us clues to face future challenges in the form of potential impacts. Further, it would be illogical to assume that Earth’s interaction with space is limited to major impacts. Every night, Earth is struck by millions of particles, and dozens of meteor showers occur around the globe every year. The study of lake and ocean sediments reveals the magnitude of the continuous contribution of interplanetary matter reaching Earth: roughly 100,000 tons per year. Accordingly, the goal of this book is to underscore the need for society-wide awareness of the dangers associated with asteroid and comet impacts, on the basis of scientific evidence and with no intention of sparking alarmism. After all, we ourselves may only be the fruit of an opportunity given to mammals sixty-five million years ago to evolve after the conflagration that would be the downfall of the dinosaurs. If we have learned to read Earth’s geological history, we should consider ourselves a very fortunate species, and its teachings should equip us to face this problem. The also book emphasizes the role of space missions to gain insights on these bodies, particularly describing the relevance of the DART (NASA) and Hera (ESA) missions to deflect and study Dimorphos, respectively, the small satellite of the Didymos binary asteroid.

Author : John S. Lewis
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Asteroids
ISBN : 012446761X

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Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth by John S. Lewis Pdf

Disk contains: HAZARDS version 5.5, designed to predict asteroid or comet impacts with the Earth.

Author : John S. Lewis
Publisher : Academic Press
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Computers
ISBN : 0124467601

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Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth by John S. Lewis Pdf

Disk contains: HAZARDS version 5.5, designed to predict asteroid or comet impacts with the Earth.

Author : Peter T. Bobrowsky,Hans Rickman
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 546 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2007-06-10
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783540327110

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Comet/Asteroid Impacts and Human Society by Peter T. Bobrowsky,Hans Rickman Pdf

Leading specialists in various disciplines were first invited to a multidisciplinary workshop funded by ICSU on the topic to gain a better appreciation and perspective on the subject of comet/asteroid impacts as viewed by different disciplines. This volume provides a necessary link between various disciplines and comet/asteroid impacts.

Author : Vitaly Adushkin,Ivan Nemchinov
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 357 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2007-10-09
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781402064524

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Catastrophic Events Caused by Cosmic Objects by Vitaly Adushkin,Ivan Nemchinov Pdf

An asteroid or comet will inevitably strike the Earth some day, and potentially cause great destruction. This volume considers hazards due to collisions with cosmic objects, particularly in light of recent investigations of impacts by the authors. Each chapter, written by an expert, contains an overview of an aspect and new findings in the field. Coverage describes and numerically estimates the main hazardous effects.

Author : James T. Bennett
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 200 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2010-09-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781441966858

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The Doomsday Lobby by James T. Bennett Pdf

Federal patronage of science was never contemplated by the framers of the Constitution, but they did seek to “promote the Progress of Science and useful Art” by granting inventors patent rights. However, direct subvention to scientists and scientific organizations was not considered appropriate activity of the central government. In the 19th Century, American science was funded almost entirely through private investors. Since WWII, however, the federal government has become the primary patron of American science. From the race-to-space in the 1950s to current furor over global warming, Bennett traces the subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which government has co-opted scientific research and reinforced a culture in which challengers to proscribed wisdom are frozen out. Citing original documents and media reports, Bennett offers a compelling, entertaining, and thought-provoking perspective on political influence on scientific research and its implications for a democratic society. "During the Nineteenth Century, almost entirely on private funding, American science grew from practically nothing to world class. Now, however, over fifty percent of American science is funded by the federal government. Dr. Bennett traces the path, "crisis" after "crisis," by which American science became practically an arm of the federal government. His tale is a cautionary one, warning against future "crisis mongers" who would extend the government's already majority control of American science even further. His warning is a timely one, and it should be heeded." Joseph P. Martino, author of Science Funding: Politics and Porkbarrel "Bennett's latest book offers a challenging interpretation of the rise of the American federal science establishment since World War II. Focusing primarily on the growth of the space program, Bennett argues that crisis, real or imagined, is the source of state power and state funding for science. The Doomsday Lobby offers what no doubt will be viewed as a controversial contribution to the history of American science policy, and more broadly to an understanding of the role of the state in society." James D. Savage, Professor of Politics, University of Virginia, and author of Funding Science in America

Author : Monica M. Grady
Publisher : Geological Society of London
Page : 292 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Science
ISBN : 1862390177

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Meteorites by Monica M. Grady Pdf

The impact of extraterrestrial material on Earth can lead to effects traceable in both the geological and biological record. This study describes meteorite flux with time, covering small and large bodies capable of producing craters. The effects of impacts on the environment is also covered focusing specifically on the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction event.

Author : Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez,Maria Gritsevich,Herbert Palme
Publisher : Springer
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 2016-12-19
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783319461793

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Assessment and Mitigation of Asteroid Impact Hazards by Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez,Maria Gritsevich,Herbert Palme Pdf

This volume is a compilation of the research presented at the International Asteroid Day workshop which was celebrated at Barcelona on June 30th, 2015. The proceedings discuss the beginning of a new era in the study and exploration of the solar system’s minor bodies. International Asteroid Day commemorates the Tunguska event of June 30th, 1908. The workshop’s goal was to promote the importance of dealing proactively with impact hazards from space. Multidisciplinary experts contributed to this discussion by describing the nature of comets and asteroids along with their offspring, meteoroids. New missions to return material samples of asteroids back to Earth such as Osiris-REx and Hayabusa 2, as well as projects like AIM and DART which will test impact deflection techniques for Potentially Hazardous Asteroids encounters were also covered. The proceedings include both an outreach level to popularize impact hazards and a scientific character which covers the latest knowledge on these topics, as well as offering proposals of promising new techniques that will help gain new insights of the properties of these challenging bodies by studying meteoroids and meteorites. Asteroids, comets, meteoroids and meteorites are introduced with descriptions of their nature, origin, and solar system pathways.

Author : William Frederick Bottke
Publisher : University of Arizona Press
Page : 818 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2002-01-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 0816522812

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Asteroids III by William Frederick Bottke Pdf

Two hundred years after the first asteroid was discovered, asteroids can no longer be considered mere points of light in the sky. Spacecraft missions, advanced Earth-based observation techniques, and state-of-the-art numerical models are continually revealing the detailed shapes, structures, geological properties, and orbital characteristics of these smaller denizens of our solar system. This volume brings together the latest information obtained by spacecraft combined with astronomical observations and theoretical modeling, to present our best current understanding of asteroids and the clues they reveal for the origin an,d evolution of the solar system. This collective knowledge, prepared by a team of more than one hundred international authorities on asteroids, includes new insights into asteroid-meteorite connections, possible relationships with comets, and the hazards posed by asteroids colliding with Earth. The book's contents include reports on surveys based on remote observation and summaries of physical properties; results of in situ exploration; studies of dynamical, collisional, cosmochemical, and weathering evolutionary processes; and discussions of asteroid families and the relationships between asteroids and other solar system bodies. Two previous Space Science Series volumes have established standards for research into asteroids. Asteroids III carries that tradition forward in a book that will stand as the definitive source on its subject for the next decade.

Author : David H. Levy
Publisher : Springer
Page : 286 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2013-11-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781489959980

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The Quest for Comets by David H. Levy Pdf

The brilliant trailing beauty of fiery comets has inspired fear, wonder, and awe since the dawn of human history. Brighter than stars, moving and disappearing in their own singular orbits, comets have been among the most mysterious elements in the sky, eluding our understanding until very recently. With the aid of space probes, scientists have discovered that these swiftly moving chunks of ice and carbon are more plentiful and far more dangerous than suspected. Scientists are also beginning to realize the monumental role played by comets in the development of the Earth and solar system. David Levy describes in dramatic detail the thrilling yet often devastating effects of comet collisions. In the dawn of our solar system, the Earth was barraged with comets that may have carried the materials necessary to lay the foundations for life on this planet. Levy also presents compelling evidence for later comet collisions, including those of the age of dinosaurs. Great impacts, Levy asserts, not only caused the extinction of the dinesaurs, but ushered in new species of life. As Levy so clearly explains, scientists are realizing that comet collisions are virtually inevitable. Levy reveals possible future collisions with the Earth and describes the terrible risks to life they would pose. He even shows how we might prepare to withstand the impact of large comets in the future.

Author : Paul J. Thomas,Christopher F. Chyba,Christopher P. McKay
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 302 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2013-03-09
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781475726886

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Comets and the Origin and Evolution of Life by Paul J. Thomas,Christopher F. Chyba,Christopher P. McKay Pdf

A look at the role comets may have played in the origins and evolution of life, particularly in light of recent investigations of Halleys comet, new insights into organic synthesis in meteorites and comets, and new results of numerical simulations of cometary orbits and impacts on Earth. This is a comprehensive review of current research, accessible to graduate students and others new to the field. Each chapter was prepared by an expert in the field, and carefully revised by the editors for uniformity in style and presentation.

Author : Trevor Palmer
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 463 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781461549017

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Controversy Catastrophism and Evolution by Trevor Palmer Pdf

In Controversy, Trevor Palmer fully documents how traditional gradualistic views of biological and geographic evolution are giving way to a catastrophism that credits cataclysmic events, such as meteorite impacts, for the rapid bursts and abrupt transitions observed in the fossil record. According to the catastrophists, new species do not evolve gradually; they proliferate following sudden mass extinctions. Placing this major change of perspective within the context of a range of ancient debates, Palmer discusses such topics as the history of the solar system, present-day extraterrestrial threats to earth, hominid evolution, and the fossil record.