Whereas, it is correct to say that we don’t know when the Earth will be hit again by the next biggie Asteroid, the OMG asteroid which takes out most all the species living on the surface of the planet, we do know enough to say; “it’s not if, but when!” That is to state – the Earth has been hit by mega-Asteroids, which have wiped out most all of life as we know it in past periods. Then life had to start all over again and evolve up to this point. Thus, it has been hit in the past many times, and will be in the future – Unless. Let’s talk.
Can we predict such asteroid strikes on Earth?
No, we can’t right now, but I believe we could. You see, if we would push our scientific community and astronomers, yes, with a fully funded mission, perhaps through NASA and/or the ESA – European Space Agency to catalogue and do a “complete” census (as in all, or 100% if of the Asteroids and Comets) with the proper data, we could turn what some rogue astronomers claim to be a random event, or aperiodic, into a predictable event.
With this knowledge we could prepare for impact, and use our resources to either, divert, deflect, or destroy the asteroid (or comet) prior to complete devastation and cataclysmic catastrophe. We need a strike force pre-deployed in space to protect Earth Call it a Planetary Defense System if you will. But before we get ahead of ourselves, we must know exactly what we are dealing with. Okay so, what data do we need, you ask? Well, we need;
Size,
Mass,
Speed,
Velocity,
Location,
Trajectory,
Porosity and Makeup,
A Name and/or Mumber
for tracking. Why? Because, asteroids are somewhat predictable due to orbits, periods, and planetary gravitational computation – no, not completely, and not all of them, but by keeping a watchful eye on them; “27/7/365” as an acquaintance of mine suggests, then we can learn more from their movements, and I believe we can make them extremely predictable. Once we remove the randomness we will know what we are dealing with and we can defeat the risk, and save the planet and people of Earth.
Unfortunately, right now we haven’t “properly catalogued” these asteroids, NEOs (near earth objects), and or ECOs Earth crossing orbit objects (a better term recently suggested might be ECOOs), thus, we are indeed gambling with our species and if the dice come up wrong – this year, that year, or decades from now, humans will become extinct. So, whereas, some astronomer scientists say that the earth is only hit by a major asteroid of this size and devastation every 35 or 65 million years, that is actually incorrect thinking, and justification for doing nothing, which is indeed, the wrong gamble to take, especially if we have the power to stop such an event from occurring – and I believe we do.
Right now, it appears we do not have the will to put up the money, minds, or resources to save the human race from such catastrophe. But if not now, when, and will that “when” where ever in the future it may or may not be – indeed be too late I ask? We have the space technology now, and humans can do anything that they put their minds too, and anything the social-political masses get behind. Apparently, no one really sees the actual “danger in this game of Russian Roulette,” as my acquaintance reminds me. We can do something about this, question is; will we – before it’s too late? Please consider all this.
