"A variety of recent news releases on the impact hazard (covering Apophis, the Gravity Tractor, Itokawa, Pan-STARRS, and the House Authorization of advanced surveys)"
Link
03 January 2006
Relevant Paper on Apophis and Upcoming Detection Opportunities
Paper: "Potential Impact Detection for Near-Earth Asteroids: The Case of 99942 Apophis (2004 MN)" by Steven R. Chesley of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Link: PDF of paper (From B612 Foundation site)
Link: PDF of paper (From B612 Foundation site)
Impact Explosion on the Moon
"NASA scientists have witnessed a rare explosion on the Moon, caused by a 'meteoroid' slamming into it."
Link: BBC News article
Link: BBC News article
30 December 2005
Apophis, the Name
One of the most watched Near Earth Objects is Apophis, a 300+ m wide asteroid that will pass closely by the Earth in 2029 with a return in 2036. There is a small concern that depending upon its actual trajectory and its Earth flyby in 2029, an actual impact encounter could occur in 2036.
One item this author did not realize was the actual origin and meaning of the word Apophis, a god from ancient Egypt (From "Gods of Egypt" link below):
Name: Apep
Other Names: Apophis, the Destroyer.
Patron of: evil and darkness.
Appearance: a great serpent or crocodile.
Description: Apep was the ancient spirit of evil and destruction who dwelled in eternal darkness. Every day he would attempt to devour the Sun Boat of Ra as it sailed the heavens. Set's original role was to battle Apep and keep him from destroying the boat. Occasionally, Apep would succeed, and the world would be plunged into darkness (a solar eclipse?). But Set and his companion Mehen would cut a hole in Apep's belly to allow the Sun Boat to escape.
Apep commanded an army of demons that plagued mankind. Only by putting faith in the gods of light could people defeat the demons.
Every year, a ritual called the "Banishing of Apep" would be held by the priests of Ra. They would take an effigy of Apep and in the center of the temple they would pray that all the wickedness in Egypt would go into the effigy. Then they would trample the effigy, crush it, beat it with sticks, pour mud on it, and eventually burn and destroy it. In this way, the power of Apep would be curtailed for another year.
Worship: Not worshipped. Ever.
Link: Wikipedia entry on Apophis
Link: Gods of Egypt (Apep or Apophis, the Destroyer)
Link: Gods of Egypt - Apophis (Apep), the Enemy of Re
One item this author did not realize was the actual origin and meaning of the word Apophis, a god from ancient Egypt (From "Gods of Egypt" link below):
Name: Apep
Other Names: Apophis, the Destroyer.
Patron of: evil and darkness.
Appearance: a great serpent or crocodile.
Description: Apep was the ancient spirit of evil and destruction who dwelled in eternal darkness. Every day he would attempt to devour the Sun Boat of Ra as it sailed the heavens. Set's original role was to battle Apep and keep him from destroying the boat. Occasionally, Apep would succeed, and the world would be plunged into darkness (a solar eclipse?). But Set and his companion Mehen would cut a hole in Apep's belly to allow the Sun Boat to escape.
Apep commanded an army of demons that plagued mankind. Only by putting faith in the gods of light could people defeat the demons.
Every year, a ritual called the "Banishing of Apep" would be held by the priests of Ra. They would take an effigy of Apep and in the center of the temple they would pray that all the wickedness in Egypt would go into the effigy. Then they would trample the effigy, crush it, beat it with sticks, pour mud on it, and eventually burn and destroy it. In this way, the power of Apep would be curtailed for another year.
Worship: Not worshipped. Ever.
Link: Wikipedia entry on Apophis
Link: Gods of Egypt (Apep or Apophis, the Destroyer)
Link: Gods of Egypt - Apophis (Apep), the Enemy of Re
Guest Editorial: "Where’s Ben Affleck when you need him?"
From the Ridgecrest Daily Independent newspaper in California, comes a guest editorial about Apophis. A concise summary of the current situation regarding this Near Earth Object (NEO).
Guest Commentary: "Where’s Ben Affleck when you need him?"
Wednesday, December 21, 2005 11:18 AM PST
Kevin McClintock
Link
Guest Commentary: "Where’s Ben Affleck when you need him?"
Wednesday, December 21, 2005 11:18 AM PST
Kevin McClintock
Link
Calculate Asteroid Impact Damage Online
"Welcome to the Earth Impact Effects Program: an easy-to-use, interactive web site for estimating the regional environmental consequences of an impact on Earth. This program will estimate the ejecta distribution, ground shaking, atmospheric blast wave, and thermal effects of an impact as well as the size of the crater produced."
Link
Link
29 December 2005
Gravity Tractor Journal Source
"Gravitational tractor for towing asteroids"
by Edward T. Lu and Stanley G. Love
Nature 438, 177-178 (10 November 2005)
"We present a design concept for a spacecraft that can controllably alter the trajectory of an Earth-threatening asteroid by using gravity as a towline. The spacecraft hovers near the asteroid, with its thrusters angled outwards so that the exhaust does not impinge on the surface. This proposed deflection method is insensitive to the structure, surface properties and rotation state of the asteroid."
Link: Nature Magazine Editor's Summary
Link: Nature Magazine Article Source
by Edward T. Lu and Stanley G. Love
Nature 438, 177-178 (10 November 2005)
"We present a design concept for a spacecraft that can controllably alter the trajectory of an Earth-threatening asteroid by using gravity as a towline. The spacecraft hovers near the asteroid, with its thrusters angled outwards so that the exhaust does not impinge on the surface. This proposed deflection method is insensitive to the structure, surface properties and rotation state of the asteroid."
Link: Nature Magazine Editor's Summary
Link: Nature Magazine Article Source
Podcast: Gravity Tractor Beam for Asteroids
"Forget about nuclear weapons, if you need to move a dangerous asteroid, you should use a tractor beam. Think that's just Star Trek science? Think again. A team of NASA astronauts have recently published a paper in the Journal Nature. They're proposing an interesting strategy that would use the gravity of an ion-powered spacecraft parked beside an asteroid to slowly shift it out of a hazardous orbit. Dr. Stanley G. Love is member of the team and speaks to me from his office in Houston."
Link: Story
Link: Podcast (mp3)
Link: Story
Link: Podcast (mp3)
UK engineering feasibility study into missions for deflecting asteroids
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in the UK is funding a three-year study (Starts: 1 June 2005, Ends: 31 October 2008, Value: £154,012) into interception and deflection strategies for asteroids found to be on a collision course with Earth. Investigators: Dr Gianmarco Radice, department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Glasgow, and Professor Colin McInnes, department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Strathclyde.
Link: Press Release
Link: Grant Summary
Link: Press Release
Link: Grant Summary
23 December 2005
NEO Astronomy Award and Smaller NEO Detection as part of NASA Authorization Act of 2005
Charles `Pete' Conrad Astronomy Awards Program and George E Brown Jr. NEO Survey Act were passed by United States legislature as part of NASA Authorization Act of 2005 (S.1281 Conference report).
"...The Administrator shall make one annual award [for $3,000 each] , unless there are no eligible discoveries or contributions, for each of the following categories:
(A) The amateur astronomer or group of amateur astronomers who in the preceding calendar year discovered the intrinsically brightest near-Earth asteroid among the near-Earth asteroids that were discovered during that year by amateur astronomers or groups of amateur astronomers.
(B) The amateur astronomer or group of amateur astronomers who made the greatest contribution to the Minor Planet Center's mission of cataloguing near-Earth asteroids during the preceding year."
"The Administrator shall plan, develop, and implement a Near-Earth Object Survey program to detect, track, catalogue, and characterize the physical characteristics of near-Earth objects equal to or greater than 100 meters in diameter in order to assess the threat of such near-Earth objects to the Earth. It shall be the goal of the Survey program to achieve 90 percent completion of its near-Earth object catalogue (based on statistically predicted populations of near-Earth objects) within 15 years after the date of enactment of this Act."
The following are from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005 (Engrossed Amendment as Agreed to by House and Senate)
Senate Bill: S1281 Subtitle C Section 321 (George E Brown Jr. NEO Survey Act)
Senate Bill: S1281 Subtitle B Section 613 (Charles `Pete' Conrad Astronomy Awards Program)
Link: S1281
Congressional Report: 109th Congress Report on Act (27 June 2005)
"...The Administrator shall make one annual award [for $3,000 each] , unless there are no eligible discoveries or contributions, for each of the following categories:
(A) The amateur astronomer or group of amateur astronomers who in the preceding calendar year discovered the intrinsically brightest near-Earth asteroid among the near-Earth asteroids that were discovered during that year by amateur astronomers or groups of amateur astronomers.
(B) The amateur astronomer or group of amateur astronomers who made the greatest contribution to the Minor Planet Center's mission of cataloguing near-Earth asteroids during the preceding year."
"The Administrator shall plan, develop, and implement a Near-Earth Object Survey program to detect, track, catalogue, and characterize the physical characteristics of near-Earth objects equal to or greater than 100 meters in diameter in order to assess the threat of such near-Earth objects to the Earth. It shall be the goal of the Survey program to achieve 90 percent completion of its near-Earth object catalogue (based on statistically predicted populations of near-Earth objects) within 15 years after the date of enactment of this Act."
The following are from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005 (Engrossed Amendment as Agreed to by House and Senate)
Senate Bill: S1281 Subtitle C Section 321 (George E Brown Jr. NEO Survey Act)
Senate Bill: S1281 Subtitle B Section 613 (Charles `Pete' Conrad Astronomy Awards Program)
Link: S1281
Congressional Report: 109th Congress Report on Act (27 June 2005)
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