Action urged on asteroids

Author Christopher Eldridge — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:40:46 GMT

As I have always said, the more efficiently and self-sufficiently we are on a very local level, the less things like asteroid impacts, bird flu pandemics, economic collapses, and terror attacks will affect us. Just think that it only takes about 20,000 square feet of shop space to build an entire NASCAR from scratch. Shops like that should be in every community and even our own homes could have shops capable of making our own clothing, furniture, garden tools, moutain bikes and canoes... it is possible and even growing more so all the time with rapid prototyping and extremely capable computers and office software! Furhtermore, we can enhance each and every home to be more and more emergency enhanced. No... we don't have to live in a bunker to feel safe. But there are general and very realistic measure that can enhance our homes to cope with nearly any crisis you can think of. Almost all such adaptations and disaster preparedness ideas are good for other things like saving money on heating and add a great deal to our lives in other ways. That's kind of the whole point... if we do things right and pick ideas that aren't just good for global warming, terrorism, or killer asteroids, we can counter them all while actually increasing our quality of living in the process. Lets make this our challenge... Lets find ways and ideas that can address the most problems with the simplest solutions like being able to work directly and productively right from home. Self-sufficiency may be a little more expensive, but "globalization" has problems all its own. It makes us too darn dependant on key areas like Silicon Valley, Everett Washington, Tokyo, NYC, and Houston that could all be taken out of the picture with one super-disaster or terror attack. We have to pull ourselve up by the boot heals and prepare cause aint no one else going to do it for us.

Action urged on asteroids

Lisa Wimmer, Lincoln, Nebraska — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:51:10 GMT

So the sky really could be falling after all eh?

Action urged on asteroids

Bloggerrich, Fort Lauderdale, FL — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:54:46 GMT

About time people take this stuff seriously!

One big hit and we are all gone...or at least sent back to the stone age.

In the 1980's, I couldn't live without MTV. In the 1990's, I couldn't live without my Nintendo. In the 2000's, I discovered I can't live without my life! That starts happening when you hit your 40's.

Without people like those mentioned above, we will be ill-prepared at best. We need them even if most feel that this threat is unreal.

I've had this conversation many times and many seem to think the chances are so slim that we shouldn't invest much money in it. They just don't get that one hit can finish us. It's almost science fiction to them and not science fact.

Action urged on asteroids

j9 — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:07:36 GMT

IMO, 3 steps need to be taken immediately:

1) Put in place a dedicated visible wavelength, IR, or microwave-based system for detecting and tracking small objects.

2) Launch a beacon and place it on an Earth-orbit crossing object for the purpose of exercising tracking and orbital prediction systems.

3) Launch additional spacecraft for the purpose of testing gravity traction, ion-propulsion diversion, simple impact, and mass-ejection diversion systems.

Action urged on asteroids

Mark, Santa Barbara, California — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:19:06 GMT

This story is a big one, since inaction could result in the cessation of life on this planet. Hopefully some powerful leaders are paying attention and will lead the way to move this along.

Action urged on asteroids

Aimee Lewis — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:39:10 GMT

Hehe. That is the premise behind the anime series, Stratos 4.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratos_4

Action urged on asteroids

George Hugle Chebougan, Mi. — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:40:51 GMT

To tell you the truth, there isn't much we as a planet would be able to do if we knew one was coming, if we saw one coming our best bet is to give people time to pray and talk to God, and to tell you the truth that would't be so bad at all,a new horzion,a new birth,nothing to be affraid of if you trust in God the Father

Action urged on asteroids

Eva, South Bay, Calif. — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:47:32 GMT

Sometimes I think that I might be only 1 of a few earthlings to believe and acknowledge that this is a very real threat and concern. Average and intellectual Earthlings alike are so caught up in their everyday ordinary lives that they do not think about what is outside our realm. Wake up people! It is not all about us, there are things outside of what we know or what we refuse to accept. We must be proactive if we want our race, humankind, to survive.

Action urged on asteroids

John Blue, Herndon VA — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:49:17 GMT

Do we really want to know - strikes me (no pun intended) that, until we know what to do about it, it would be best if we were caught unaware.

Action urged on asteroids

Erica, Brooklyn NY — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:51:10 GMT

I think it is a great idea to have the UN involved. If something should head to earth we are going to have to band together and try to destory or change its path.

Action urged on asteroids

a p garcia — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:06:33 GMT

It is a bad idea to let the UN get involed. To let a bunch of buracrats,& lawyer call the shots, they are not even scientist. I see a potential threat bogged down "UN RED TAPE" until the point of "NO matter what the action is or how large it is will do nothing to the threat". The UN has made many failures in the past from Korean War(Police Action), "oil for food program", most member nation hate all that is US and US programs or even pay parking tickets and with that type of track record I wouldn't trust the UN for anything much less protector of Earth.

Action urged on asteroids

readynow — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:24:25 GMT

Wow..Is that going to happen on 10/07/08?! DEFCON-1..

Action urged on asteroids

Steve, Albuquerque, NM — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:37:57 GMT

Thank you for your service to our country. I was a child living in Satellite Beach, FL when you were launching during Apollo 9. I have great respect for our astronauts.

Action urged on asteroids

C. Little. — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:48:10 GMT

Man, how have we ever made it this far? I'm sure glad we have the UN to deal with this issue. What if it were left up to the Americans like everything else? This is just too important.

Action urged on asteroids

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:00:52 GMT

That illustration that MSNBC always uses is completely misleading. The one depicted is the ultimate worst case where something the size of a small moon wouldn't be avoidable no matter how many nukes you flung at it. The Spaceguard system is looking for things 10kms wide and smaller. The dinosaur extiction 10K type strike about once every 80 millon years or so. These are extinction events. Smaller ones are the ones that will wreak havoc.

Action urged on asteroids

Frank, Dallas, TX — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:06:28 GMT

Wait a second - if the risk is one asteroid every half-million to million years, exactly how is it that we've made it 65 million years since the last big one?

Action urged on asteroids

Michael, Houston,Tx — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:16:11 GMT

IF an asteroid, comet or NEO is destined to hit the earth, I want to find out where it will hit and go there. It surely will be a once in a lifetime spectical!

Action urged on asteroids

Joe McGhee, Edison, New Jersey — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:27:28 GMT

This move to bring more resources to detecting Potentially Hazardous Asteroids and taking concrete action to avert disaster is about 10 years overdue. I'm somewhat skeptical of the workability of passing these problems through the UN because I believe that Russia (allied with smaller rogue nations) has an infinite capacity for attempting to warp results to its own advantage. I believe that NATO and other transnational military alliances would be much more effective in following through with workable action plans on a time-expedited basis.

Action urged on asteroids

G. Bush III — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:30:59 GMT

I have a suggestion: The country that the asteroid would impact, would be responsible for diverting it!!

Don't know about you, but I'm sick of the USA having to save the damn world everytime there is a natural disaster in some small corner of the world.....

Action urged on asteroids

gwp — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:15:03 GMT

Sounds like a major job creation program for some unemployed Scientists. And if they do spot an Asteroid ready to hit the Earth and wipe out civilization, what, other than wishing they weren't in the way, do they intend to do about it; besides notihng.

Action urged on asteroids

Ian Boys, Allen Texas — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:16:43 GMT

"The 200 with some probability of impact is going to become 6,000 to 10,000. The 200 with some probability of impact is going to become 6,000 to 10,000."

Your editorial staff needs to do a better job...

Other than that, good article, and I say cheers to the panel for the idea of UN responsibility for such projects.

[ALAN ADDS: Bluh! Thanks for catching that, I've made the fix. Heaven knows I always need to do a better job...]

Action urged on asteroids

Arizona 1950 — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:17:00 GMT

This is one of the reasons why I believe our Government should be thinking of putting more money into Early Warning Systems, Satellite Technology, better highways, bridges, small businesses, global warming, etc etc ... instead of trying to convince us that we are to give $700 Billion to bail-out the rich profiteers and Wall Street. This is where our money should be saving our world.

Action urged on asteroids

Rell in Canada — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:31:09 GMT

There is much talk about an asteroid?? "Nibiru", that would come in close proximity to the earth in ±2012 and create much damage etc. What is this and is there any evidence that this would be a concern?

Action urged on asteroids

Ton Brantley Atlanta Ga. — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:32:23 GMT

scary thought!!!

Action urged on asteroids

scott belle kentland IN — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:32:37 GMT

wow the picture up on the top of the page is a global killer if thats not enough to prompt action then wat is ?

Action urged on asteroids

H thomas — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:43:40 GMT

the UN is pathetic now, and you want to in trust them to
safeguard good old USA, I don't think so, last time I checked many are gunning for us, would love to see us out of the world picture we need more like a just in case department, we must self insure our existence while helping to preserve others

Action urged on asteroids

Katie — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:45:22 GMT

If this were to actually happen, I say let's call it a day. Open a bottle of wine and hig and kiss the opne you love. We can't even solve financial or political problems on earth due to greed and corruption. How the heck is the entire world going to agree on what to do on a crisis of this magnitude??

Action urged on asteroids

Jimmy D. Sturgeon, Jacksonville, Fl. — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:49:15 GMT

Please give me more hope than to tell me the U.N.is in charge of this?? I have NO faith in the U.N., we are so DEAD!!!

Action urged on asteroids

BRITTANY STATEN HOLDEN WEST VIRIGINA — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:56:17 GMT

THAT LOOKS PRETTY AWESOME!!!!!!

Action urged on asteroids

don giles, carpentersville,ill — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:59:28 GMT

I like the idea of combining the expertise of a lot of people regarding NEO's, but the last thing we should do is involve the United Nations in it. Better
a consortium of space agencies than that rathole for
money down on the east river in Manhattan.They cannot even be effective on an acknowledged genocide in Darfur,Sudan.

Action urged on asteroids

Too Little Too Late — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:09:58 GMT

Why would ANYONE leave a decision to the UN? This is an orgnization that has caused so much grief for so many nations.

Action urged on asteroids

Curt Sandberg, Anaheim, CA — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:16:38 GMT

The only problem with this idea is that the United Nations itself has no resources to use in the prevention of a collision. The history of the U.N.'s ability to coerce, must less coordinate, the nations of this planet against a "common enemy", has not been the rosiest or the most successful. Unfortunately, I do not know of a better solution.

Action urged on asteroids

Jan Granzow Clearwater FL — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:20:36 GMT

Give me a break, we might not survive tomorrow. Hope you're spending your private money/fund for this.

Action urged on asteroids

Del, Bellingham WA — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:23:08 GMT

This is what the governments of the world should be working on instead of squabbling amongst themselves with wars and arresting guys for having a joint.

Action urged on asteroids

marv k LI ny — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:33:27 GMT

if no ones watching ny skys,we could get hit,its a big sky out there! should be teams on the night watch! mk ufoligist, mufon member! see ufo adventure, oct. 23 7pm glen cove library, glen cove, LI n.y.----

Action urged on asteroids

Steve N. Grecia Costa Rica — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:39:32 GMT

Well, as we continue to mismanage this blue marble, (Air, soil, and water) it may be time to let her have a rest by wiping us off and staring anew.... The natural course may be extinction.....it has happened before.

Action urged on asteroids

Nevada Democrat Tucson, AZ — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:40:46 GMT

Hur Hur!Since when do moon-sized bolides impact the earth from dead up North orbit?

This is a bunch of scientists who have looked at all the money their so called "atmospheric scientist" colleagues have made off of the man-caused global warming scam and now want to get on the UN-US governmental gravy train scam relating to poorly educated, frightened citizens now to worry about moon sized objects slamming into earth!

Action urged on asteroids

sydney — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:41:04 GMT

How about the mainstream media stops beating around the bush and helps everyone acknowledge the so called threat planet X which is suposed to cross our orbit. Thats must be all lies because scientists and astronomers only observe and see nothing out there

Action urged on asteroids

John Tolmosoff Madera, California — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:48:48 GMT

Acording to Revelations in the Bible in our future.

And I saw a large Asteroid slam into our earth and dissrupted all earths Techtonic Plates. For where there were mountains and Oceans were no more.

Can a moon sized Asteroid plunging deep into our earth put pressure on the opposit earth plates plunge our land masses to buckle and roll in our Magma be the end ?. What about the ocean turn into steam then come down as rain on a Lava mass as our future land mass ?
No more Europe, America, North and South ?.

But not to worry our earth will not look the same for we will not exist to see millions of years into the future.

And why will our earth still be here ?. Natures ( GRAVITY ) will recycle our earth. Plants , Humans,Land mass ?. We will be laying in the rock formations with the Dinosaur. Our Statue of Liberty All of North America, Europe, Russia, China, Africa will join the Rock with the Dinosaur.

And I saw the whole earth as a lake of fire Magma, and plasma.
Well in millions of years there after The Ocean turned to steam evaporated into space will then come down to cool and harden our world called Earth Recycleing Affect.
Can the bible be correct as to our future ?.

Do you trust the planetary objects that roam the universe ? Also revelations say and I saw collamity in the Universe of planets falling back into the begining of The Big Bang called The Big Crunch.

Where can we hide ?????

Action urged on asteroids

Todd J. — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:53:33 GMT

lets say how much more stress you can take with everything going down the drains and now added extrateritorial things. :P

Action urged on asteroids

William little — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:54:54 GMT

Good article. Now is the time for us to consider the problem and come up with a solution that might take a lot of R&D to develop. Not ten minutes after a astronomer says "Oh my God, there an asteroid 10 miles across and its coming straight for Earth". Any solution we can devise probably won't benefit my kids or my kid's kids..but the odds are becoming increasingly against us. And it should be our solution..who else is capable of coming up with something? Involve the UN? What a joke..I don't even want them on American soil.

Action urged on asteroids

spoken — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:55:20 GMT

good idea if they will take it seriously before it becomes the next global crisis...unlike the current issues..(OIL-Climate)which could have and should have been resolved before they became an emergency.

Action urged on asteroids

Kola, St. Pete Florida — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:59:34 GMT

The problem with all this crap that no one wants to tell is that Star Trek isn't right now, its still only a TV program using technobabble. Does the technology exist today even in infancy that could deflect a solar object large enough to cause high level catastrpohic damage? NO! Our technology has just reached the level where the probability of shooting down a satellite with a ground based missle has a 20% chance. Solar objects move much faster than satellites, are vastly further away, and they are guaranteed to be quite solid and a kinetic dart would do no more to move a football sized asteroid than a gnat flying into your body could knock you down, or even make your go off balance. Yes, this could let us know we need to make our final preparations, but that is all it can do for probably the next several hundred years in the very least. Why waste the effort and money right now when there are more vexing problems in our society and world that deserve far more attention?!

Action urged on asteroids

T Everett — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:08:23 GMT

Has everybody gone mad ? Why does everyone have to
worry about everything. There are much better things
to be doing with your life. Do you really think
it is going to make any difference at all.
Asteroids?

Action urged on asteroids

Rob — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:09:26 GMT

For decades we have spent billions and billions of dollars in space, for what? To see if there's water on Mars? Now they are just coming up with this? Except for monitoring the weather here on earth and communications it's all waste and should be stopped. 'If' an asteroid were headed towards earth simply blowing it to pieces wouldn't work because the smaller pieces would still impact the planet re: Jupiter. It would have to be deflected or vaporized. I agree that this is just another scam to get more and more money from the government(Us) and they certainly didn't pick the best time for their proposal. Wasteful government spending has to end and NASA is a white elephant that should have been disbanded long ago in favor of an organization that explores the oceans and helps us here on earth and not for esoteric scientific purposes.

Action urged on asteroids

sal cento — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:10:28 GMT

this already happened ,and it was a direct hit on earth , luckily it wasn't a very big space body but big enough to scare thousands of people out of their wits.
it happened in southern italy in 1955, a summer night , i was 12 years old and out by the marina playing with other kids ,in the city of milazzo,sicily, the time was about 10-10.30 at night , a lot of people were out as there are in those places ,after after dinner everybody goes out for a stroll before retiring, well, there was a light that kept getting brighter and brighter until it reached daylight strenght or very close to it , when it reached maximum strenght there was a long low thundering noise , everyone started running and like in a scene from a science fiction movie screaming "the end of the world,the end of the world"including me, i ran withoput esitation , very hard, home, there was nothing else to do, no other place to go where you could feel safer.the next day i went to buy a newspaper for the first time in my life looking for an article to read about what happened the night before, sure enough on the first page on a two inch by two inch article said that an object fell down from the sky on the tyrrenean sea witnessed by many scared people along the coast of northern sicily and calabria , that was it didn't say much else maybe because nobody really knew what it was.it must have been big , the whole country side was illuminated like daylight and the thundering was a long one ,maybe ten seconds but it seemed like a lifetime,but it couldn't have been very big, there wasn't a giant wave hitting the shore or there would have been signs and damage,however what it was i don't know, you tell me.the name of the paper was"la gazetta del sud"its still in existence , some copies might still exist ,but i don't remember the exact date ,i left italy for usa in april '56, it was a summer night ,so it must have been 1955, a small chance that it was 1954.i always meant to write a letter to tell carl sagan about this event, never got around to do it and then he died.nobody investigated ,nobody cared, but if the thing would have fallen on milazzo it would have wiped out that city of 30,000 and maybe more. could it happen again? i hope not but something that happens once has a chance of happening again.

Action urged on asteroids

Don Stockstill, Ozark, Missouri — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:11:48 GMT

Who knows what could happen? I am afraid that all of the combined conventional and thermonuclear weaponry on the entire planet would not be enough to destroy or divert such an object. Only God could stop or prevent such a catastrophic event. Our combined power is useless if God does not intervene. Let us pray that he will prevent such an event from happening.

Action urged on asteroids

Mike — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:12:55 GMT

Shouldn't the United States be responsible for the poor innocent life that lives and hence gets killed on the asteroid too? I mean... who really hit who here? i'm sure we could find some lawyer or tree hugger to take that defence. maybe we could set up a fund ...yes, another tax with payrole withholding and everything.

Action urged on asteroids

Rob — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:14:10 GMT

What? An international organization? That's ridiculous. Who's going to pay for that? How about the Association of Space Explorers just keep a look out. What a bunch of nuts.

Action urged on asteroids

Mauricio, Laguna Hills, CA — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:25:57 GMT

A direct hit would be great, I wouldn't need to make any more payments on my loans.

Action urged on asteroids

Keih Harrod — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:27:37 GMT

It's not a question of IF it will happen, it's a question of WHEN it will happen again.
Most of the Earth orbit crossing asteroids that have come close (less than the distance to the moon) have been detected AFTER they went by.
If they had been on a collision course, there would have been NO WARNING whatsoever.

Action urged on asteroids

Jan NJ — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:33:17 GMT

If there were to be an extinction event, I don't think there would be much we could do about it, perhaps it would be part of a Divine plan for evolution anyway!

Action urged on asteroids

Moon Rabbit, Somewhere in the Southeast — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:33:46 GMT

We can only hope...Poof...we're gone!

Action urged on asteroids

Bingo Bango — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:34:13 GMT

I think we should make our first attempt at deflecting asteroids by launching the naysayers at the asteroid with a catapult. If that fails to change its trajectory I have some other ideas.

Action urged on asteroids

Hook, Los Angeles, Ca — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:36:51 GMT

lets face it people, our planet is doomed. If its not some forty five million mph dirt-cicle, then its some backward butt, cave living, jihadist. The people with the power do not care, and the people that elect the people with power are to caught up in consumerism to pay attention. something is going to get us. you might as well live your life fast and free, and dont worry about falling rocks. their are a lot smarter people than you or I to do that.

Action urged on asteroids

mcourtmiller — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:47:42 GMT

Just say "hell no!" to any earth bail-out with tax payer dollars.

Action urged on asteroids

Laurie B — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:56:31 GMT

Let's just all say for the sake of it that it could happen and prepare for it. Seams to me Reagan wanted to do something about it and everyone thought he was nuts. I believe it is a probablity so we do need to do something about it. As far as the U.N.getting involved .....the U.N. is too involved with affairs now. I say it be a joint effort of the U.S. and our allies.

Action urged on asteroids

David Sicks, Anchorage, Alaska — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:57:43 GMT

To be more succinct, Schweickart should have said something about the Earth orbit intersection probabilities of the PHAs "of elevated concern that are expected to go to 100 or more". I'm sure we can make a range of estimates based on "elevated concern" observations in the 20th Century. With a Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, would that estimate change or stay the same? How much lead time from discovery to expected impact? The lead time estimate would change for sure. Any organizational scheme to avoid an asteroid impact should follow those estimates.

Action urged on asteroids

Terry Blunk, Lomma, Sweden — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:08:24 GMT

This should be called, "The War Against Astroids." It should be top priority of all nations' military expenditures. Waging this war in order to save our lives on earth will be an incentive that will take humanity farther, and faster, into the solar system and beyond than NASA and other agencies manage today with only reasons like patriotism, scientific knowledge and technical advances. Yes, this is one war that needs to be fought for many generations to come and with great expenditures of money and manpower. Almost everybody can get in on this battle, and if we lose, well, what the heck...nobody will be left around on earth to complain!

Action urged on asteroids

Larry,Medford,Oregon — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:08:56 GMT

Ha, Let the U.N. solve this problem?. They can't rub two sticks together without considering it for 6 months, then disagreeing anyway. Can NOT let a decision like this be given to a bunch of useless politians to try and figure out a solution. THEY could NEVER really figure out what to do about something like this because they would have to make a decision. Won't happen.

Action urged on asteroids

Mike, Washington DC — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:12:12 GMT

Are you crazy! The asteroids are our friends! They are going to all fall on Wall Street and Congress! If that is not a friend than I don't know what one is!

Action urged on asteroids

chris anthony, des moines, ia. — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:13:06 GMT

if the government handles a program to interdict an asteroid headed for earth the same way they handle our money, then you might as well kiss your butt goodbye!!

Action urged on asteroids

Karl Detrich, Chapman, KS — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:14:45 GMT

I wonder if they will get this monitoring system up and running in time to see the second and third angels of Revelation chapter 8 throw that "mountain burning with fire" and that "great star, burning as a lamp" at us?

Action urged on asteroids

Duane A. Poole Damascus Md — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:17:46 GMT

Face it people, if Mother Nature, in her infinte, universal wisdom, wants to take us out there is nothing we can do about it. If She doesn't destroy us with an asteriod or comet, there are many other things in Her repotoire, like super volcanoes(Yellowstone), disease, climate change... to name a few. When She gets tired of us humans sucking the life blood out of Her, we are toast, period.!.!.!!!!

Action urged on asteroids

Paul R. Wilson, Bergenfield, N.J. — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:22:02 GMT

In a 1000+ pg. super-novel I wrote (The Shining Pyramid) Sephira cleans up the entire solar system by throwing all rogue asteroids, comets, meteors, etc., into Neptune (and throws Pluto in afterwards for good measure), into Jupiter, into the sun....

Action urged on asteroids

Rick Davis Brownstown Michigan — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:26:18 GMT

Just another scam and this one is a big one. You spend 2 billion dollars a month in the middle east and you can not even find or stop the so called small group of terrorist or their leader. Now they want us to believe they can see an object headed towards earth and then at that speed they can somehow (with enough money) intersept it and SAVE MANKIND. Such heroes, you just gotta love them.....I think I'll laugh myself sick now.

Action urged on asteroids

Kar Pon, Small town, Midwest — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:33:18 GMT

How about a new branch of the UN called UW (Universe Watch) and all the countries take turns watching (when their respective landmasses are in darkness) the skies, at the ready with their asteroid repellers. It is a great big old universe out there and we can only see a fraction of it at a time and then there is the problem of clouds and fog and such. Back to the drawing board.
There must be a few asteroids out there heading somewhere nearby our path. I wish the article was telling about those. It would be nice to read about what Good Luck we're having.
If it does happen, I would like to watch it with Michael from Houston TX. Just tell me where to look.
But seriously, if man can divert an otherwise deadly asteroid, I'm proud to be (wo)man.

Action urged on asteroids

c.j......america — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:33:50 GMT

revelation in the bible(chapter 8 ) says it's going to happen ( when the second angel blew his trumpet,something like a huge mountain all in flames wa cast into the sea....) the only question is when ....are we in the end of days ?? a lot of people think so....stay tuned...and keep god in your heart.

Action urged on asteroids

Peter Stringer Hamilton New Zealand — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:37:04 GMT

Instead of doing something dumb and macho like spending billions on sending someone in a small tin can to Mars we show concentrate on stopping these hunks of rocks before they can smash into the earth. Bruce Willis where are you?

Action urged on asteroids

LameBear, Wyoming — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:45:03 GMT

Real Bad Idea!
Get the UN involved?
Look what those idiots did with the non-existant "human caused climate change" nonsense.
Just one more thing to try and scare the S**T out of everyone so we all give up our freedoms and let the New World Order take care of us. After all, they do have our best interests in their hearts - right?

Action urged on asteroids

Rober Reynolds corrales NM — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:52:13 GMT

Some how, I don`t really think it will happen and I for one, don`t care....We need to fix our educational sustem first as more important because lack of English Grammer and spelling here is appalling...

Action urged on asteroids

Rich, Foothills, CA — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:58:04 GMT

I don't see the need to get all worked up about this. You are more likely to die going to or coming from work in your auto. Maybe we should worry if it doesn't hit Washington. That oughta wake up our fearless leaders.

Action urged on asteroids

Mike, Tulsa, OK — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:01:03 GMT

The following passages are out of the 8th chapter of the book of Revelation. This is dreadfully similar to the descriptions of asteroid aftermath that I have read about in science based articles. Is it inevitable? "And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night."

Action urged on asteroids

Chris (Woobie) Unterkofler, Phoenix, AZ — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:04:16 GMT

Apophis will come within 0.1 AU of the Earth in late 2012, according to current, published information. That's within 9 million miles of our bright, blue marble. With the increased solar output and solar wind exerting pressure against the asteriod, the thing could come a heck of a lot closer.

Action urged on asteroids

christopher williams burke, va — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:04:39 GMT

Sounds like the some people watch too much disaster week on the discovery channel. I get it on HD and it's awesome. We have real issues to work on here! And while it may happen someday, there is a pretty good chance now that we'll see it with or without the UN.

Action urged on asteroids

A Crazed Nut, Newport, Oregon — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:08:37 GMT

LOL, finally a real use of all those useless nuclear weapons we all posess.. if a chucnk of space rock were detected in time.. we could all play hit the space rock.. brings back memories of the old dos based metior shower.. .. LOL.. oh well we came into existance in a big bang.. why not go out in one..

Action urged on asteroids

Robert J. Washington — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:17:25 GMT

Too little, too late, for NEOs. These monies should have been spent decades ago instead of funding government loans for "red-lined" and poor credit risk individuals trying to get homes they knew they coudn't pay for. Now it's a crap shoot that one of the many NEOs within the solar system will slam into the earth. Then we don't have to worry about paying for all those Wall Street losers.

Action urged on asteroids

Thomas Lee Boles, Saint Paul, Minnesota — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:33:25 GMT

Does anyone realize this is for real? It's not just a TV movie!
If "Nevada Democrat" still believes global warming is a scam, I have a great deal for him/her on some nice beachfront property in Florida, guaranteed proof against hurricanes and rising seas. Earth to wishful thimkers (that is not an error): feelgood is useless in the crunch. We are long overdue to face the fact that the real axe being ground here belongs to the producers of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. They're the ones who spend millions in "campaign contributions" (read: bribes) to foil attempts to clean up their messes. Show me a "rich scientist" and I'll show you someone who has taken a ton of money from Big Oil to say there's no problem--like Philip Cooney (who, incidentally, knows absolutely nothing whatsoever about weather or climate).

Action urged on asteroids

TJ Sheridan — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:36:04 GMT

I'll have whatever Author Christopher Eldridge is drinking....

Action urged on asteroids

Daniel Middle Tennessee — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:36:08 GMT

Mankinds' psychological profile has to some extent been shaped by
catastrophes; ie...freudian self-destructive tendencies, Fear creates
a set of truths that tend to be self-fulfilling.I also am a watchman
believing the vulnerability of man and the earth is a very serious matter.
the gentleman, Mr. eldridge correctly encourages us to decentralize
our industrial and economic interests so that deprivation is not
planet wide following such disasters.A matter of political will...
america truly needs a Self=Reliance Act of 2009. At one time I tried to encourage Nasa guys to embark on a trial ,hoping that some signif-
icant mission could be manufactured( such as directing a certain comet to colllide with Mars in Jan 2021) ,naturally they told me it was
currently impossible and probably unethical???? to disturb poor old Mars. My last to them was " you'ld better learn how" and " the chinese
are likely to have a more utilitarian approach to space exploration."
My wife and I built an underground house and are doing our best to
develop some self sufficiency; the risks real, but I hope nothing ever happens to this precious and fragile Earth.

Action urged on asteroids

John Burkitt, Nashville, Tenn. — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:37:11 GMT

Perhaps we should admit the asteroid to membership in the United Nations. Then it could threaten all it wanted to, but nothing meaningful would ever happen...

Action urged on asteroids

M .Owens — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:39:30 GMT

well,maybe if The U.N/World Govs.cant,or wont be able to...what about all you novice starwatchers out there?
Im sure you could,right?What they might,could miss finding...you would.Look @ it this way...the dinos didnt see it coming...@ least we should(& can)!

Action urged on asteroids

Ricky Eastwold — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:40:04 GMT

Its not a matter of "if" - its and matter of "when". Granted- it could be 100 million years from now or in the next 100 years- but it will happen sooner or later.

Action urged on asteroids

Steve Mocher — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:45:37 GMT

It's all in HIS hands anyway, so why worry about it! Do we really want to know when we are about to be vaporized? We're all "day to day" as I tell my elderly Mother when she talks about dying. Try to enjoy as much of every day as you can and love those who are close to you and you will have lived as full a life as possible.

Action urged on asteroids

Jesus Jones Fairyland, MT — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:50:09 GMT

Yes, lets pull ourselves up by our bootSTRAPs. lol. At least get the phrase correct. If it hits us, we're screwed, but pray to god and he'll make it all go away... And to think I sometimes consider myself to be a nutcase...
At least I'm not alone. lol!!!

Action urged on asteroids

Eamonn, Albany, New York — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:00:18 GMT

I have to say this was a real worry of mine when I was growing up, early teens. I was interested in astronomy and knew asteroids were out there. I knew the chances were very small but nature is not in the least concerned with insignificant humankind and you never know what is out there. Mind you, I used to worry about supernova blasts from nearby stars! Maybe too much imagination. However, Rusty Schweickart is my kind of scientist/astronaut, a grounded, rational, and by all accounts a most convivial person. He's doing us a favor by acting on this concern when most of the world is enmired in financial greed and small minded self interest at the expenses of others (if they can get away with it). Unfortunately, the U.N. is a completely toothless tiger.

Action urged on asteroids

John, Iowa City, IA — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:07:31 GMT

There are so many objects out there that simply haven't been found yet. Lots of people think, "Hey-- we have to know everything about our own solar system. We've got the technology." Well, that may be true that the technology exists, but there is the problem of simply not having enough of it to find every single asteroid. And there is definitely not enough manpower on the job. Space is big. Really, really big. And asteroids are infinitely tiny specks of dust when compared to the entirety of the cosmos. Add to that the fact that many asteroids don't reflect much light, making them essentially look like dark lumps of charcoal against the black backdrop of space. So, these infinitely tiny dust grains are also nearly the same color as space, making them even more difficult to locate. Yes, many of them are in safe orbits around the sun, but there are some that are on more erratic, near-Earth orbits that have the distinct possibility of colliding with Earth. So the first step is obviously more telescopes (or at least, more telescopes dedicated to searching out potentially harmful asteroids). This is definitely not a hoax, and our demise could very well come from above as opposed to within.

Action urged on asteroids

Hal2000h, Katy, TX — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:09:42 GMT

A rather large meteor did hit the earth about 35,000 years ago and did considerable damage. It caused atmospheric changes worldwide. It made a crater about 650ft deep with a circumfrence of 3 miles. This meteor was only 100 feet across. Meteor Crater, Arizona, USA. If a meteor 10 miles across hit the earth, the middle of it would still be at a 25,000 ft. elevation (where the jet planes fly). It would be moving so fast that nothing the UN could try would stop it or change it's course. They can't even stop the spread of AIDS or the flu. If that day were to ever come, the best we can hope for is that it happens at night (central time) and we get one heck of a good fireworks display out of the deal.

Live as if today were you last day, Love as if you had an eternity.

Action urged on asteroids

WheresMyHovercar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:20:44 GMT

This has all happened before (many times in earths history) it will happen again. Every once in a while, the dominant creature(s) of Earth get smart and realize, "Holy Schneikie, we have been pretty lucky because the Earth is a dangerous place unsuitable for a lenghty habitat...." yadda yadda.
We should be consuming every last resource we have with fervor and try to get space colonized so our species survives. The Earth is doomed no matter how you slice it, its only a matter of time.
All the doom and gloom in the animals and plant psyche that religous zealots feed upon are genetic memos of the past. The Earth will survive and life will re-evolve, but it does not have to be that way if you work together. Religion will tell you to close your eyes and let it happen, they can stay behind and inherit the place comets and all. Everyone else knows that this is only a good thing if the UN gets involved. (Im suprosed the US is not leading this actually) The next industrial revolution will be for colonization and mastering the environment outside of earth. Next comes cyborgs, then interstellar travel. Necessity is the mother of invention. Up until very recently, humans have had no real need to master the void of space. That is all changing.

Action urged on asteroids

Lauren Rogers Wrangell Alaska — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:21:03 GMT

just another way to burn tax payers dollars. Lets all face the facts...the UN or any government for that matter can even controll their spending, how could they controll a comet? This crap is just born from people who spend way to much time watching TV and movies... whats next? fears of the UFO's? I think we have alot bigger and more real issues to worry about right now then some Si-Fi event that might happen in the next few million years.

Action urged on asteroids

Daniel Middle Tennessee — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:25:10 GMT

at least comets are composed of volatile ices et al; a natural propellant
in the near vacuum of space...the russians have a probe out there
working on a comet landing in 2014??

Action urged on asteroids

chicken little — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:28:34 GMT

the sky is falling..the sky is falling!!!

Action urged on asteroids

Paul, El Paso, TX — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:32:55 GMT

"Tunguska Event". Look it up. The "city-destroying" level of cosmic collision is not a rare event. That one happened almost exactly 100 years ago, which is within the span of a human life. So is it maybe a good idea to know about something like that in time to AT LEAST evacuate the area? Duh.

Action urged on asteroids

Flaming Pope — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:54:12 GMT

Whats the point? So we know exactly when and how we're going to die?

What we should be doing is engineer ways to advert such events or cope with them. Like cosmic redirecting cannons, harnessing the sun's energy for super space lasers, orbiting nukes, move the earth out of the path, collect the materials off the space bodies, use the material on the rock to build a redirecting engine, etc

Action urged on asteroids

Stephanie, Va Beach, VA — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:22:29 GMT

I think that we should have a United Scientific Group of ELECTED top scientists from each respected country to collaborate and put actions together and oversee the projects and telescopes that keep an eye on our skies. No offense to the UN but I don't see how a bunch of politicians would be able to quickly grasp or even basically understand situations in which scientists spend thier lives trying to understand and research.

Action urged on asteroids

Alan Lek, Singapore — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:26:01 GMT

Frankly Speaking, The U.N. should focus attention on solving the world's issues with climate and weather changes. Attention should be well-spent on diverting another cousin of "Katrina" or understanding "El Nino". We should really place efforts to forecast and have a good grip on our global climate before tackling the universe's deep space.

Action urged on asteroids

benjamin Bey chicago,il — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:50:36 GMT

Education of the masses will save us.

Action urged on asteroids

John Jung El Toro , CA — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:54:48 GMT

Praise GOD! Just hope everyone is ready for it!

Action urged on asteroids

Jeremy — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 06:19:24 GMT

Seems like this would cost a lot of money for something with such a unlikelyhood of ever happening. Anything is possible, but to spend a bunch more money don't sit well with a lot of people. Maybe down the road. Many things to worry about right now and at home on our own planet, in our own countries and communities that could be addressed first. Of course these local issues would probably never happen either. We would rather spend billions of dollars for things that don't work at home and abroad rather than spend it on something productive or to fix a something that don't work.

If nothing else we could just call up Bruce Willis and his team of oil drillers to blow an asteroid up if the need arises anytime soon.

Action urged on asteroids

me — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 06:31:41 GMT

The society you live in thrives on paranoia to keep the economy growing. From the insurance industry to preventative medicine to firearms! What if you have an accident?? what if you get that disease?? And what if you are attacked?? And now what about that giant asteroid that might come and slam into our earth.

Folks dont worry about any of the affore-mentioned scenarios. Just....don't worry beee hapeee!

Action urged on asteroids

JC, Phoenix, AZ — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 07:23:01 GMT

The Earth will eventually get hit and most life will go extinct. It will probably happen after humans are long gone, but it will happen. The Earth still has a few billion good years left until our Sun goes Red Giant and destroys Earth. Us humans would be lucky to last another 10,000 years. Odds are 100% that many more collisions will occur between now and the end of Earth. It's inevitable and we won't be here to do anything about it.

Action urged on asteroids

Donald Willard Garrett — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:24:22 GMT

You diligently report every SpaceX failure in detail, and are entirely silent about their success.

Looks pretty slimy from here.

[ALAN ADDS: I diligently wrote about SpaceX's success on Sunday, and it was the top story in the Space section on Sunday night (above the Chinese spacewalk!). Now I'm thinking I should always link to the stories I write for MSNBC from the log because a lot of the blog-watchers don't see them. I'll also refer to SpaceX's success in a new blog posting today. Hope this makes me look slightly less slimy:]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26932813/

Action urged on asteroids

Gary, Montclair, NJ — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:06:08 GMT

Without better tools to predict asteroid paths this is a non-starter.

Action urged on asteroids

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:54:58 GMT

Rob wrote, "'If' an asteroid were headed towards earth simply blowing it to pieces wouldn't work because the smaller pieces would still impact the planet re: Jupiter." If the peices were small enough it would work just fine for half the planet. We all know what happens when Dick Cheney shoots someone in the head with a shotgun. Someone gets a bunch of oweys. Take the mass of those shots and make them into a bullet and someone stands a much better chance of getting dead. The dynamics are different, better penetration. An asteroid that would be a planet killer in the long run as a single body would probably only make the next thousand years suck really bad for the human survivors on the back side of the planet.

And generally,
I don't think this is about the "it's coming right at us" scenario. You detect objects that stand a good chance of impact and divert them. Not to save any lives that are alive today, to avoid an impact in 700 years. And diverting is easy. We can land a probe and set off conventional explosives nudging it into a different orbit or into another gravity well. And by "we can land a probe" I mean we can land a probe. These would be slow movers when we attack them.

Action urged on asteroids

Bruce Gee, Charlottesville, VA — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:08:11 GMT

Everyone understands instinctively the importance of buying insurance, and that's how this should be presented to people. Spending money to do something about this and global warming are like buying insurance on our planet.

Action urged on asteroids

mehran — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:48:32 GMT

i am sick of these old science fictions

Action urged on asteroids

Pam, Alabama — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:12:29 GMT

True, at this point in time the technology to do anything about an asteroid collision doesn't exist...except in movies. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be concerned about it. In the 1960's (Star Trek's debut), communicators were science fiction (and now we have cellphones that size that relay off of satellites to reach remote locations),...so were sliding doors with sensors, energy weapons, laser surgery, cloning, spacewalks/moon landings/orbiting space stations, little squares/discs/crystals you stick in a computer for instant data, microchips, personal computers that link you anywhere, 2-way video, holograms and interactive virtual reality, microwaves, non-stick and anti-microbial surfaces, instant 'just-add-water' food, and many many MANY everyday things we take for granted. Look how far we've come in just the last 50 years, with technology increasing exponentially. If we start focusing efforts on this now, then maybe if an asteroid crisis pops up another 50 years from now (hey, you may still be here), we'll have something to counter it with...but nothing will happen if we stick our heads in the sand for those 50 years and call it 'science fiction'. People can mock NASA all they want and call it antiquated, but without the Cold War 'space race' with the Russians jumpstarting this boom in technology, the average American's quality of life wouldn't be what it is today. Aside from the Space Station and the old-fashioned Shuttle program that continues to limp along, NASA continues to contribute science and technolgy that is shared with commercial and medical industries that trickles down over the years to a level that benefits the average person every single day. It takes research, which takes manpower, which requires money. Trust me, your taxdollars are NOT wasted there, but the general public and media don't see that. They want instant results, but results take time, patience and perserverance. If everyone back in the 1950's/60's was concerned just about life in the moment, 'what affects me right now', and the immediate economic/social/political threats (nuclear meltdown or economic meltdown, bomb shelters were just as real as bailouts), we would not be even as far along as we are now.

Sadly, people still can't see it. Our politicians can't see it, anymore than they can hear beyond their own press releases and polls to what Mother Nature is screaming at us. Terrorists use the same advanced technology meant to improve out lives to kill, destroy, and spread Stone Age extremism. Nations, even allies, can't work together without years of posturing and playing 'what's in it for me' to barter a better deal, wasting what time we have on meaningless gains when you look at the grand scheme of things. Our time on this planet is brief, not just as individuals, but as a species, when you look at the vastness of the universe and time. I see comments that humans are arrogant, in light of all that. I don't think its so much arrogance that's the problem as being self-centric. If we can move past that, we could do so much more. After all, it was arrogance (and perserverance) that got us from concept to the moon in a little over a decade. Science fiction. Something someone watching a Buck Rogers serial in the 1930's would have scoffed at wasting time and money on. Fortunately for us, some of them didn't.

Action urged on asteroids

George Koprowicz, Canton, MI — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:13:03 GMT

When the Planetary Society came out with its "Apophis Asteroid Tagging Mission" we thought it important enough and challenging as well to submit our own plan for this mission. Naturally, our plan was not the winning plan. If you care to indulge in the failed plan, please go the website listed.

Action urged on asteroids

Art Kart — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:44:17 GMT

Best Solution.
Bury Head in Sand and Forget it. It will not matter in the long run. Our present life is the results of a hit, maybe it is time for the Cockroaches to have their chance in the next round of life.

Action urged on asteroids

Andy, Houston, TX — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:54:38 GMT

George, this isn't about a "mission." This is about a decision-matrix with which the international community can address a potential threat, including deciding which "plan", or "mission" to use.

To put it simply, this is more about "how do we decide what to do if an asteroid threatens" than it is about "what mission design we are going to use to prevent an impact".

Action urged on asteroids

Sam , Hardinsburg Ky. — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:56:35 GMT

I see that Many,Many people need to do some research on NASA ! If not for NASA , We would still be lost in the 70's.Over Half of the items you use Everyday came straight from NASA.Over half the drugs you take are a direct result of NASA.Your tomtom,GPS etc.etc.Came directly from NASA.Many people REALY need to do some research before typing.

As for the United Nations,I say lets move them to Iraq .

Action urged on asteroids

Selwyn Beck,Cape Town South Africa — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:26:28 GMT

I cannot fathom what the fuss is all about.Really,we are so concerned about saving our skins we forget that in this great universe we are nothing.Our feeble efforts to divert any large solar object will be a huge waste of time and money-we cannot play God by trying to change the course of nature.So instead of spending trillions of dollars and worrying about a direct hit,why not enjoy your life and let be what must be. What will be ,will be.

Action urged on asteroids

Walter L. Wagner — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:50:49 GMT

Our ancestors [at every evolutionary stage] survived every previous asteroidal impact [duh - we're still alive and well] over the past several hundreds of millions to billions of years. I'm sure we'll survive the next one.

Action urged on asteroids

m, tahlequah, ok — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:10:24 GMT

NASA gets about 1% of our tax dollars. If we need to cut back spending anywhere it needs to be the billions of dollars that go to Iraq every month, especially when they have their own money. Did you know they only pay about 39 cents per gallon of gas?

Action urged on asteroids

Timmy Two Moons — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:18:24 GMT

wow, lot of psuedo-scientists and bible bangers commenting today. Disheartening to see so many people making so many bold pronouncements about the end of the world, revelations, gnats hiting footballs, etc. Do some reading on the subject and get back to us ok?

Action urged on asteroids

g g, Coolidge, AZ — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:34:54 GMT

Since the 'gimme' group is allowed to vote, funding & focus on the long-term survival hasn't a snowball's chance in heck while we continue to fund the welfare baby factories here on our already overpopulated home. Perhaps this is a self-correcting situation after all...

Action urged on asteroids

Scott, PEI, Canada — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:48:28 GMT

Well, a big rock smashing into us WOULD tend to ruin alot of people's days I'll grant you that, but really, that's life. Life is short and often brutally ended. I like the idea of not knowing where and when the thing will come. Should we keep our eyes open and look for these things? Yeah, but not at some huge cost for Joe Blow taxpayer. You say an asteroid would make things change? Blast us into the stone age? GOOD! A fresh start on things is what we need. We have lost our priorities folks. You wanna fix things up? I say let's put a MAXIMUM wage in effect. We have a minimum wage, why not a maximum? Really who the hell NEEDS to make anything over say, half a million a year at teh most. Seriously...that's nuts to think that some people out there make more than that. The VAST majority of North Americans are up to their eyeballs in debt, barely able to make ends meet, and here there are people out there making MULTI millions a year for playing sports and singing lame songs? Time to get our priorities straight people. Do I worry about space rocks? Nope. I pray for them to come faster.

Action urged on asteroids

Benjamin Dorfman — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:28:05 GMT

, San Francisco
The mammals did not disappear 65 million years ago – quite opposite, our branch of evolution got an advantage. Even dinosaurs did not disappear instantly but apparently during a millennium or a few. Collision about 250 million years ago was truly catastrophic, and we have to consider the probability of such events not exceeding one per 250,000,000 years. Indeed, probability should be much lower now: many dangerous objects consumed by Jupiter from that time.
On such astronomic scale, the Humanity is yet defenseless, but may look better in 100 years from now. But to that moment, without any special program, the astronomic map of our planetary system will be improved beyond our current imagination, while all the data that new project suggests to collect in a few years would be available almost in real time.
So, let the progress go without any special resolutions, UN be improved and deserve better trust and respect (see most of the comments) and let’s for a while focus all available means to cure the actual problems – natural and man made.

Action urged on asteroids

Norman Bradley, new York, NY — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:50:06 GMT

If it goes to the UN, like most everything else, there will be a wounderful resolution resulting in nothing.
An international organization won't happen because there's no economic incentive. Everybody will want to have a hand in running it, everybody will want to benefit from it, but nobody will want to pay for it.

I think it will be up to the U.S. to once again bite the bullet and save everyone else's bacon when it comes to the big threats. If we just nudge these objects enough out of our impact zone and let them fall in someone else's back yard, guess who is going to wind up having to fork over the money and resources and get stuck with the rebuilding costs anyway? The U.S., as usual.

Besides, we could possibly profit from being there first - not just shove these rocks into a harmless orbit, but use them as resources for construction projects in space. Minerals, water, air....

That is if China doesn't get there first.

Action urged on asteroids

George Archuleta — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:08:19 GMT

haha well if a asteroid where going to hit i would look at the brightside i dnt have to take anymore midterms!!!!!!!!!! or worry about bills

Action urged on asteroids

Shawn Cincinnati, Ohio — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:12:12 GMT

in 2012 Toutatis 4179 (Listed on the NASA NEO and PHA webstie). Due to the positioning of the planet at that time (our sun will be rising in the center of teh Unvierse) and the orbit of the asteroid an impact is very likely if not immenent.

That is why in the past year the articles on this subject are increasing. There is another asteroid in 2020 or something close to that which may also make an impact. Lets just hope they hit somewhere like Russia >.> as these impacts will be life altering.

Action urged on asteroids

delphi — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:21:43 GMT

We should ignore the threat as we ignore so many other things, and let the end come.
We are a selfish, self centered race who really have no clue - and deserve our fate.
It should have happened already.
At least something to show we were here will survive us.
The Voyagers and Pioneer probes may one day be found by a truly "intelligent" race.

Action urged on asteroids

Victor P., Bangkok — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:31:41 GMT

With so much trouble, man made or otherwise, that is going on around the world today may be it won't be so bad for earth to get a big one once in a while!!

Action urged on asteroids

bryan — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:35:17 GMT

sigh the futher out you find it the less you have to dervert its path. given early enough time even changeing its path by a fraction of a inch would be enough. it would not have to be a very big one to completly destroy our way of life.

and for those that say let the country that its going to hit deal with it, unless its a small city killer the junk pushed into the air would drasticly effect us all.

Action urged on asteroids

Bob Greer, Spring Hill, Kansas — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:41:04 GMT

It will happen Dec 21st 2012! crashnbob.

Action urged on asteroids

Laura in TX — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:41:35 GMT

Even if the UN is involved, it will likely be the US who ends up paying for 90% of such a program anyway. I would not trust the UN to operate a lemonade stand correctly--the US should get ready for such a threat ourselves--we'd be paying for the biggest share of the costs anyway--we should at least be able to control how our own money is spent.

Action urged on asteroids

CJ — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:42:29 GMT

I Suppose they want another 7,000,000,000 for this.

Action urged on asteroids

John Skulavik — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:43:03 GMT

Every tick of the clock we're closer to extinction because of this issue. It's happened many times before and it WILL happen again. I'm supprised we're still here to be honest. There's lots of material floating around out there! Even clumps of dark matter.
We are dangling by a very thin thread but we continue to have the persistence of an ant den. Ignorance is bliss for the masses. We're all trying to raise children, pay a mortgage and by the way don't bother me I'm eating.

Action urged on asteroids

Karl Bratcher, Florence, Oregon — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:02:33 GMT

A large astroid could very quickly render the 700 billion bailout a moot issue. Why our president insist on fighting invisible terrorist when we should be preparing for the day we hope never comes.

Action urged on asteroids

wkwai, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:30:00 GMT

Hey folks.. why not expand the missile defence shield to cover space rocks and comets as well!

Action urged on asteroids

John, Canadian expat in Abu Dhabi, UAE — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:47:32 GMT

Response to G.Bush III
He said: "I have a suggestion: The country that the asteroid would impact, would be responsible for diverting it!!

Don't know about you, but I'm sick of the USA having to save the damn world everytime there is a natural disaster in some small corner of the world....."

I say: Probably the most narrow minded comment I've read in quite some time. The USA is responsible for the financial meltdown that's currently taking place this week! Its not the USA that's savings the world every time, its the U.S. thats slowly choking us and involving itself in matters that it shouldn't because of the all mighty greenback, power and greed. Its power that started all this and it will ultimately be power that ends it. I'm a Western expat on the outside of a box looking in, so my comments are valid. Im sorry to say that it will be the U.S that ultimately prevents the UN (United Nations!!!) from creating this much needed NEO observation and action organisation. It should be the UN that helps devise and orchestrate a plan of action, it is the UN that would burden the financial load of responsibility splitting it appropriately between all its members. How ignorant of you to suggest that a country that is to be "hit" take full responsibility and burden. What if that country was too poor or too small to handle this catastrophe? A country such as Jordan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Zambia, Vatican, the list goes on. The whole point of this exercise is to ensure that the States do not take full control over this much needed arena. If you dont believe me then look around at the market chaos it has caused this week. The world is suffering because of the greed of one country. Responsibility for this piority should definitely not be with one country, expecially a country that can't hasndle its own affairs. The old saying is true, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the U.S, I am after all a citizen of the country. I just don't agree with all the muscle flexing it imposes. [...]

Action urged on asteroids

Benton (Ben) Peeples Jr., Misawa AB, Japan — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:59:05 GMT

Problem, yes! Solvable probably not, but so was manned flight less that a hundred years ago...but to do nothing will facilitate our destruction!

Action urged on asteroids

Mark Andrews, Pittsburgh, PA — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:01:15 GMT

Throughout the mellenia the planet has gone through innumerable "cosmic cleansings". Perhaps it's time for the slate to be wiped clean again, and our imprint, or rather stain, on the planet be erased. Hopefully, when it does happen; and it will, the next generation of Earth inhabitants will be able to appreciate it's spleandor and create a better world.

Alas, they will suffer the same fate. Cycles of creation and destruction are simple facts of nature.

We should not worry about the innevitable and unstoppable. Live, laugh and love every day as if it's our last. Someday it will be.

Action urged on asteroids

Mike, Singapore, — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:10:03 GMT

I totally agree with the opinions mentioned in the article. Many people think of such a disaster striking earth then think of the movie "Armageddon" then get a false sense of security thinking that Bruce Willis will go up there and bomb the asteroid, but it's not so simple! Regarding the article submitted by Rob on the 30th of September; Why exactly is it that Nasa and other space exploration organizations have spent so much money on things that will barely affect humankind like whether there's water on mars and men on the moon? There are much more important space matters at hand people! Think about it!!

Action urged on asteroids

Dan Barnes — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:16:15 GMT

Many people balk at "expensive" science with an unknown or low probability payoff. Perhaps they should be aware that PET scans that save lives involve anti-matter physics (positronic emission tomography). My life was saved by a PET scan. Hopefully humans can actually survive their infancy with a project to watch for NEO.

Action urged on asteroids

Walt, Baltimore, Maryland — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:49:49 GMT

This is rich ..... First did anyone read the list of members of this distinquished panel. I didn't know that the Africans had a Space Foundation, I must have missed that one .... Second I guess this will play hell on the UN's front burner issue of controlling Global Warming .... and Third maybe these people who have way to much time on their hands should go get a job and help revive their national economies by creating wealth and paying taxes before the end comes

PS - Based upon all the other UN success stories from the past decade or so - Dafur, Oil for Food, the Balkans etc. etc. I think I'll just stand in my front yard with my trusty pellet gun and aim for the center of the asteroid .... maybe that will stop it !

Action urged on asteroids

Robert Gertz, Atlanta — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:05:19 GMT

No doubt God will provide... Still, if anyone ever has some cash and equipment to spare a good thing to fiddle with, though not something to sit up nights about as I imagine just when our asteroid defenses are perfect the sun will blurp and swallow us or the Crell will attack from Altair IV. What was that old SF story about the man who goes to Jupiter in a home-made ship and conquers Earth single-handedly by threatening to divert asteroids and moons? No offense, a good intent and worthy of some looking into and planning development but we can only do so much. I'd recommend putting the money into exploration and colonization, much more likely to ensure species survival than having all our eggs here on lil' ole Earth.

Action urged on asteroids

mike saulnier — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:07:19 GMT

Happened in the early part of the century in Tanguska, Russia.

Look up the story, it was an atmospheric impact that was felt into many parts of Europe.

Explorers did'nt even get there until nearly 10 years after the recorded event, it is a desolate and remote part of Russia.

Every thing was wiped out within miles of the blast, the forest was completely flattened.
If that had hit a populated city, the life loss would have been catostrophic.

The threat is real, and I'm sure there were nomads living in Tanguska that were witness to a momentary daylit sky before they were vaporized, never to be accounted for in history, almost as though they never existed.

Action urged on asteroids

Malek, Singapore, Jurong — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:12:22 GMT

_____________________________________________________

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!PLEASE JUST DON'T IGNORE THIS COMMENT!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When i go to youtube to see the video of the big asteriod that going to hit earth...i felt that it a fake... But after watching all of hundreds different video...all of them seem to have a direct time of when it will hit earth...it may seem to be a prediction that the thing called big asteriod
/nibiru /enigma /doomday OR whatever you call it is going to hit earth on 2012!!Some may believe...and some may not believe..ok i around...hmmm can't tell..see this videos for more info...i'm not saying this is true and i also not saying that it a fake conclusion....as u want to know i'm a muslim ..we can't predict the day of the doomsday...the only thing i can believe is when the start of the morning the sun does rise from the East but it rises from the West ....IF U ARE A MUSLIM,PLS CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG ..CAUSE HUMAN DO MAKE MISTAKE...SO AS THE PRIDICTIONS...THEY CAN JUST MAKE MISTAKE..THE DOOMSDAY ALSO MAY NOT BE ON THE EXACT DAY WHICH IS 21 DECEMBER 2012 AND IT COULD BE NEAR CAUSE MANY PRIDICTION THEY WERE WRITTEN WAY BEFORE PEOPLE DISCOVERED THE ASTERIODS ARE SOME TRUE......

VIDEOS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4psUkHvcFO8
(HISTORICAL REASONS [SHORT CLIP])
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAtgPaggeTM
(HISTORICAL REASONS [FULL CLIP])
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11iCmzGnOI8
(TODAY REASONS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlcPWa6SomE
(SCIENTIFIC REASONS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wSL1-6b3uo
(WHAT IS THE WORLD ORDER BEFORE IT HAPPENS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1YoXJxJzSk
(DOOMSDAY ALMOST LOOKS LIKE THIS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elKG4yJi_aU
(METEORITE HIT EARTH [END OF WORLD])

------------WEBSITE GATHERED FROM YOUTUBE------------
-----------------------------------------------------***********THANK YOU FOR READING MY COMMENT*********
---------------------------------------------------------------GO TO:http://www.saintbirgitta.com---------
-------------------for more details------------------

_____________________________________________________

Action urged on asteroids

D. Johnson — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:25:15 GMT

Yep, if you haven't noticed, the sky IS actually falling all around us, and it's time for someone outside this arrogant U.S. administration to lead the charge to save our planet from destruction. (And yes I live in the States.) But on the other hand, all this planet-saving is maybe overrated. I quote George Carlin: "You think we need to 'Save the Earth'? I got news for you, the earth is resilliant man! It'll shake us all off like a dog with a bad case of fleas"

Just a thought. :)

Action urged on asteroids

VAN NELSON BAYVILLE N.J. — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:30:20 GMT

I FOR ONE, DO BELIEVE THIS COULD HAPPEN IN OUR LIFE,OR OUR CHILDRENS.SOMETIMES HOLLYWOOD IN THE MAKING OF FILM I.E SUDDEN IMPACT AND OTHERS GIVE US A SMALL GLIMPSE OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN.WE SHOULD PREPARE. BUT AS MOST OF US KNOW WE ONLY PREPARE FOR TODAY AND NOT TOMORROW?

Action urged on asteroids

Zale Schuster, Santa Maria Ca. — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:30:44 GMT

If the frequencey of strikes to the earth is based on earth geologic historic evidence it is a false assumtion because if, we believe in the Big Bang or expansion / contraction of the universe (now expanding) every object is changing it's relative orientation / orbit to the earth.Internal earth history of strikes to the earth has no bearing or prediction of feature strikes to the earth since the universe and all the matter in it is expanding ,changing continually - Only real time observation of threats are significant enough to take action on. So we can only base a threat on what we see astronomicly ,visually , may be it's a good idea to prepare for the event? But it's not cheap to keep a rocket , a launch pad , and a trained launch crew and infra-structure ready to launch .....it's what I do as an engineer at Vandenberg AFB .....nice job security though..............ZDS

Action urged on asteroids

Charlie A, Fayetteville, NC — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:38:19 GMT

When assessing a risk in business, one looks at the likelihood of an event and multiplies it by the impact of the event in order to gague relative risk. In the planet's history, not counting the accretion period when the planet was still forming, there have been dozens of asteroid and comet impacts which would be large enough to kill the majority of living things on the surface and end civilization as we know it. There have been a couple that would kill all life on the surface and most in the oceans. Most major extinction events in the geological record have been tied to asteroid or comet impacts. There have also been thousands of impacts which would kill millions and destroy large cities. So the potential impact of the event is very high.

The likelihood of such an event in our lifetime is very low. So the risk profile of an extra terrerstrial body collision is moderate. Mitigation of this risk would be appropriate if we can do it for a reasonable amount of money - one of the strategies, that of identifying NEOs that are dangerous and mounting rockets on them would pay for themselves as we learned how to mine the NEOs for precious metals and materials that are valuable in space such as oxygen, water and silicon.

I say that we grant asteroid mining companies tax free status for 100 years on the provision that they provide the resources to protect the Earth against NEOs in dangerous orbits.

Action urged on asteroids

http://www.katrineholmuncensored.blogspot.com — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:42:59 GMT

They better get this project going now and hope that what it does provides better response to NEOs than EPA did with Katrineholm.

Regards from Katrineholm, Sweden

Action urged on asteroids

Ty Hicks, Troup,Tx 75789 — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:43:56 GMT

I beleive that it is pre-writen history in the bible and there is nothing that can be done to stop it. What will be will be.

Action urged on asteroids

Night_Hawk-1 Smky Mtns. — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:47:00 GMT

Involve the U.N. ???

Gezz, you really got to be kidding !!!By the time the Useless Nations got involved the strike would have occured, and all of mankind would be LONG GONE !!!

In fact, lifeforms would be crawling back up out of the sea again & learning to walk upright !!!

Action urged on asteroids

Rick Ray, Cleveland, OH — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:09:04 GMT

From Revelation chapter 8 verse 8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

Scientists can't stop this...don't fear an asteroid, fear God.

They just want MORE of our money...like we've got anymore to give after just being robbed of $700,000,000,000.00!

Action urged on asteroids

Richard Harrison — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:13:06 GMT

Excuse me if I sound religious, but this in the Bible in Revelations. Now that is some scientific agreement with the Bible.....

Action urged on asteroids

Richard Harrison, Marianna, FL — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:20:22 GMT

I THOUGHT that I heard on TV years ago(20+) that the US was "ready" for such a scenario: 2 nuclear rockets ready and waiting--to intercept any heavenly bodies that threaten to strike Earth. A "pre-emtive strike" would be used to set the asteroid off-course AND/OR break it up.

Action urged on asteroids

Curata et Industria — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:21:32 GMT

I have always told my students that Science has produced some type of social policy. Evolution influenced the Hitlers and Stalins, vaccination prevented disease, electronics bettered our lives, Nasa program produced many new inventions and products.
But that has changed since scientists no longer rely on the Emperical Method, rather they vote a consensus.
Has anyone actually seen a celestial body that is going to hit the earth???

Why do I get the feeling that "Chicken Little" is screaming "The Sky is falling!"?!

Action urged on asteroids

Devon — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:22:12 GMT

Hm, if they say there is an impact ever 500,000 years that has the chance to destory civilization, then the time needed to evolve the diversity on this planet shouldn't be as advanced as it is?

I'm not sure I by every 500,000. Its to random of a chance to say such a thing imo.

Action urged on asteroids

gregg shanle — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:22:35 GMT

Get the U.N. involved ? MY GOD, we are all going to die ! Screw those "socialist lemmings". If we build it, we should run it !

Action urged on asteroids

Sean — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:27:17 GMT

I agree with many of you that the UN is not the place to seek help on matters like this their an ineffective body.

Action urged on asteroids

TechRider, Palm Harbor, FL — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:29:52 GMT

If it isn't going to happen in the next 30 years, I couldn't care less. Besides, just dust off your DVD of the Bruce Willis flick Armageddon, and you have your plan.

Action urged on asteroids

Andrew S. Canton OH — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:35:24 GMT

if it's gonna hit, it's gonna hit. nothing you can do about it. why worry about something we have no feasible way of diverting? it's stupid that people would even waste time in their lives being consumed by this. we have a greater risk of being in a nuclear war, than these alleged big asteroid hits every 500,000 years. give me a break. people aren't people they're sheeple. bah bah.

oh no!!! the big asteroid is coming! government save me, save me!

i say grab a beer, put your sunglasses on, sit on the roof and enjoy the fireworks.

Action urged on asteroids

PC, Durban, South Africa — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:35:51 GMT

Since the Dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago (an assumption by humans) due to a cosmic impact, how many lethal impacts has Earth had?

Is there any difference in the RESULT, if we know what is going to hit us and when or not knowing it? I doubt that if something even as big or shall I say as small as 1/4 moon comes our way we can not change its trajectory.

400 million spent on a telescope, yes research and develeopment should be there, but not when millions go without food or shelter. What are we trying to save? If we can not care for those that we "CLAIM" to be saving, what good is all this stuff?

There are millions whose lives would be better off, if an asteroid came our way. Let's all FIRST make EARTH a place worth saving and then worry about saving it.

AND on top of everything:
I do not want this to be personal, so without pointing out a singular person, let me say that people working "without Compensation" are not exactly correct in saying that. Who pays for travel, hotels, conferences etc etc etc....

Action urged on asteroids

Gene — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:38:17 GMT

yes anything is possible....... an asteroid could devastate all life.
an olde yooper

Action urged on asteroids

Timothy Key MI — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:44:37 GMT

i heard someone say that NASA and the exploration of space was a waste of money. If our civilization and race is going to outlast the ones before us, we have to look to ways of living off earth. Its no if its always going to be here. It wont. Its happened atleast 3 other times, its not science fiction. not to mention the earth is only going to provide us with a certain ammount of resources. If we stay put on earth our fate will be the same as all before us.

Action urged on asteroids

Diamond — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:54:34 GMT

And God said the next time I destroy the earth it will be by fire.

Action urged on asteroids

Michelle Bangor,Maine — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:57:41 GMT

I hope this does get more attention and money,God gave humans the intelligence to help themselves and this would be a great way to explore space more and potentially stop another catastrophe like the one that wiped out dinosaurs or the one in russia in 1908 that could have had much more loss of life had it not been in the woods ,we need to take care of our bio space ship that God made for us.

Action urged on asteroids

Bill C, New York, NY — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:00:29 GMT

I heard of some sort of plan that was devised a long time ago, it was called Project Icarus and was designed to deal with an event such as a giant meteor or asteroid on a collision course with Earth. Whether or not this plan still exists, I have no idea. I have serious doubts that any plan will work. Nothing known to man will stop a moon-sized body slamming into the Earth. The only plan would be an evacuation of as many people as possible to another world, but since that is beyond Earth science and technology and resources at this present time, there would be little we could do but perish.

Action urged on asteroids

Kgmasta, Somewhere, OHio — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:02:56 GMT

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!! Osama Obama will need to commit 10 billion dollars to fix this one. What about the pigs fly defense, if they do that we are screwed. What about the attacking seagull defense fund, or the earth crashing into the moon defense. This has to be the stupidest article and dumbest comments I have ever read, you people are priceless!!!!

Action urged on asteroids

Karl Eriksen — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:03:32 GMT

the theoretical limit of the power of nuclear devices is sufficient to destroy earth itself. we could engineer an explosive device capable of destroying an extinction level asteroid. all it would take is resources- resources which we currently squander on smaller weapons which kill far more humans than asteroids ever will.

Action urged on asteroids

Carlos Huerta — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:04:22 GMT

I think Ronald Reagan was already thinking on this back on the 70's. Remember the Star Wars project? One of the practical uses of the Star Wars project, besides destroying incoming Russian missiles, was to create an arsenal that would be ready to shoot any incoming asteroid; but only because it was a Ronald Reagan proposal this was shelved for 30 years. What a bunch of morons the Democrats are.

Action urged on asteroids

John Hunsanger — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:05:07 GMT

If this is the way it is supposed to be,why mess with it. We need to stop playing GOD and let the universe do what is natural even if it means that you wont be able to see your mommy anymore.

Action urged on asteroids

Stuart Cook — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:05:42 GMT

Its 5:00 am here on Los Angeles. Thought I would look at the MSN web page. Whats your excuse? Why dont all you people do something more constructive with your time than talk about theoretical asteroids!

Action urged on asteroids

John Fitzgerald Cape Girardeau MO — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:08:49 GMT

What a HUGE waste of money. If the earth is to be hit by a giant rock from space then so be it. There are children who have do not get to eat. Do you think they care if the earth gets hit by a rock? This is what is wrong with the scientific community. They create problems so that they can form studies and get paid, funded well for doing nothing. Find a cure for cancer. Find a way to feed the children of the world. What the world does not need is another global warming scare. Find a fuel to replace oil. Find a cure for diabetes. Find a way to educate the children of our inner cities. Spend money to help stop children from having babies, or becoming drug users at the age of 13. A big rock is going to hit the earth.......you people need to come out of the lab once in a while and get real.

Action urged on asteroids

E.J., Washington, PA — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:11:21 GMT

I would suggest that you NOT believe the Sci-Fi movies that depict the world's ability to intercept and destroy any incoming materials. There is no such capability, regardless of what the scientific community professes. If the "big one" arrives be prepared to join with T-rex and his ilk.

Action urged on asteroids

Paul Kahn — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:13:08 GMT

A direct hit would finally get the myth of Global Warming out of the papers!!!

Action urged on asteroids

Allison, Atlanta GA — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:13:53 GMT

Read a book called "A SHort History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson and maybe you will all see exactly how possible this particular natural disaster is. Asteroid impacts happen so many millions of years and um... we're due.

Action urged on asteroids

Linda Gableman, Elkhart, Indiana — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:14:53 GMT

Why don't I see comments about the fact that the only reason this seems critical is that we have better instruments. Now that we can see better it is suddenly scary!! Reminds me of Mister MaGoo, who walked unscathed, nearsighted amongst obstacles and threats with no fear because he couldn't see them. Are the threats really increasing??

Action urged on asteroids

Paul Kahn — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:18:27 GMT

I love this, a space object monitoring organization under the auspecies of the UN of all things! The UN, which hasn't accomplished a thing in 60 years other than put people who would normally be running around in grass clothing into suits and cars and giving them a perpetual vacation in the Big Apple. I see that Nigeria is on the top of the list for membership in this space junk watcher group, and that it has a Space Foundation, so what would that be, a tube of mud with the bottom of a Coke bottle in each end???

Action urged on asteroids

Ernie Fleeener, Grandview, TX — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:19:14 GMT

Anything that involves the UN would never work. They would debate, very furvently but ineffectively, who would launch any deterent action against any object from space until it would have already hit earth.
The UN never succeeds with any undertaking.

Action urged on asteroids

Walter McAdams, Providence RI — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:20:05 GMT

This is a very real threat, and is one of the leading candidates for a possible cause of human extinction. If we have enough advance warning of a potential collision, it is possible to divert the NEO's course with minimal force (in some cases simply by positioning a man-made object close to it and allowing gravitational forces to pull it into an earth-avoiding orbit). That's IF we have the warning. Anyone thinking that if it hits another country it's their problem rather than ours really has no concept of the destructive force of a large asteroid (equivalent to thousands of nukes). In addition, it could cause a "nuclear winter" which could kill us all (or at least all but the rich and powerful). Finally, odds are about 60% it would hit water in any case, which would make the mother of all tsunamis.

I really think this is one of the best uses of our money that I can think of. On the other hand, reading some of the inane comments on this thread, maybe this is just the ultimate form of natural selection - it takes a species with more wisdom and forethought than humans usually demonstrate to be able to survive an extinction-level event. In the end maybe we aren't enough smarter than the dinosaurs to make it.

Action urged on asteroids

Johnny Ballinger, Chico,Ca. — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:21:32 GMT

Gee, what a surprise.This is just one more step in aclimating the general populace to the fact that Nibiru or PlanetX is coming.It happens every 3600 years or so.Why would the US build a huge infrared telescope on the south pole?To track our sun's dark sister,a brown dwarf,complete with her own planets.
Slated to arrive late in 2012,it will not be actually hitting Earth,but by coming through our solor system, will disrupt our planet's axis enough to wipe out 90% of the Earth's life.Do you actually think WE are responsible for global warming...Hell no.Our planet has been effected by the incoming "Great Destroyer",as our ancestors called her.The signs are everywhere,this is only one of them.Educate yourselves!The information is out there!Don't expect to see it on 60 Minutes though..at least not until it is obvious in the sky.

Action urged on asteroids

Matt, Ft Myers, Fl — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:22:16 GMT

If this " ACTION URGED ON ASTEROIDS "is to take place then don't depend on the UN to be at the forefront of making this happen.
That would make as much sense as to give Wall Street a $780 billon dollar bail out package :-)

Action urged on asteroids

Charlottesville, VA — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:22:21 GMT

Just call Harry Stamper, he'll know what to do :)

Action urged on asteroids

Patrick R., Palm Coast FL — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:24:53 GMT

Two Words, Bruce Willis.

Action urged on asteroids

Malcolm, Beaumont, Tx — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:30:39 GMT

I think that we live in a world of fear but we the people must not be scare and start coming together as soon as possible,people of the world do bad things and expect good things to happen their's a higher being and he sits high and looks low please lets start coming our window is closing and soon it will be too late.

Action urged on asteroids

Will, Telford, TN — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:31:04 GMT

Just reading all the different messages tells you that "Houston we have a problem". If one shows up, I believe we are in serious trouble.

Action urged on asteroids

amy rios — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:32:31 GMT

look up asteroid XF11

Action urged on asteroids

Dee — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:33:46 GMT

No financial crisis would have to dealth with as many people may say but the man kind could be wiped out as evident. The day that we get hit we will be like the dinosaurs when another species find our bones! We must start taking this seriously, because there is no state or private insurance policy can cover us!

Action urged on asteroids

Jennifer Zornes — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:34:17 GMT

Sounds like everyone has been spending too much time watching sci-fi movies.
Also, if it's going to take so much time for the proposal to be reviewed and approved at the UN, how much hope do we have for a timely response in the case of impending disaster?

Action urged on asteroids

V, Diamond Bar, California — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:35:47 GMT

I definitely think this is a needed action, and many people dont take it serious but this is bound to happen on earth and if we dont respond now we wont see a happy ending. like the person stated above in the Italy situation with an asteroid that hit that place it was [...] real, and its bound to happen again we need to start investigating now before its too late. But of course we need money so that becomes the issue for people.

Action urged on asteroids

Stan Kriz Naperville Illinois — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:36:45 GMT

Yeah get the UN involved. They can't agree on what size toilet paper to use in the Johns. A useless organization with no power to do anything. When they allow a nut like the president of Iran a speaking forum to rant about delusions of granduer and historical inaccuricies, they have no touch with reality. If American politicians cant agree on anything and are only concerned about their political party and forgot we are all Americans how you get nations to agree?
We have seen the best of times in the last 25 years and our future is bleak with the multitude of problems currently facing us. I feel sorry for my children and the planet we have left them. Maybe the big hit would be better for them. God save us all?

Action urged on asteroids

Thomas Harvey — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:39:40 GMT

The UN hasn't been able to solve much else, but give them a chance because it's way beyond our governments ability to solve. The Demacrats won't do anything unless there's some intiltilment payment involved that they can give someone and the Republicans won't do anything unless they can make some corporation rich. With all the curruption in government and the corporate world , wars and general evil existing on this planet maybe that big rock headed our way would be a big improvement to the quality of the universe. Let it come as far as i'm concerned.

Action urged on asteroids

Malcolm, Beaumont, Tx — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:40:29 GMT

Action urged on asteroids

J MDCRK, Mt — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:40:59 GMT

The last world is coming,our souls will be purged and the infinite light shall be shone, only though this means will our ultimate end be acomplished. We all must suffer before we can truly live. Remember we choose our path before we beat it. We must fufill our agreements. November 5th 2011 Midnight.

Action urged on asteroids

Ken, Hampton Roads, VA — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:41:23 GMT

It's the Economy stupid. Quit worrying about asteroids and get back to work. You all have been playing too many video games and watching too much tv.

Action urged on asteroids

AllHailTheChief.. — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:44:07 GMT

Mauricio owns... ill party like its 23.9.2009!

Action urged on asteroids

John Tolmosoff Madera, CA — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:48:26 GMT

Dear Don Stockstill :

What can our creator do ? Its all speld out in The book of revelations.

Future mankind is doomed if when a Moon sized Asteroid in a collision with earth.
Read revelations. Our earth will recycle again.

John T.

Action urged on asteroids

Joe, Concord, NH — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:52:32 GMT

Give me (and all of us) a break! We have more pressing needs than an astroid defense system. We need to deal with a failing educational system, global warming, a financial system in complete disarray and hundreds of other issues. Scientists who want to develop & play with these toys can fund it themselves. NO public money! They've already wasted billions.

Action urged on asteroids

Mike H. — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:03:23 GMT

Just send Bruce Willis up there in a spaceship to put a bomb in its center and blow it up. Make sure he has enough drill tips, and doesnt take his daughter or son in law and we should be fine.

Action urged on asteroids

Michael Becker — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:22:04 GMT

Alan? Did anyone ever tell you "Your duck is out?" Well it is.. First of all, the UN has nothing to do with it nor would they. As far as the other pure rubbish in this article I cant for the life of me imagine who would be stupid enough to hire you. If you are going to write a piece, at least do some research brother!! It's obvious you are a government plant. [...]

Action urged on asteroids

jose urista desmoines ia 50314 — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:21:38 GMT

it is a very interesting and scary article

Action urged on asteroids

Frank Glover, Rochester, NY — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:11:52 GMT

"How the heck is the entire world going to agree on what to do on a crisis of this magnitude??"

Katie, are you really going to ask everyone on Earth if the Earth should be saved from such an event? Or do you go and do it? What firegighter asks the occupants of a burning building if they want to be rescued first?

If there was ever a time that "It's easier to get forgiveness than permission" applied, that would be it. If the US government had the means to deflect a serious impactor, and if its primary duty is to protect and preserve its citizens, hey, go for it.

What? The action would save the lives of billions of non-US citizens too? And they might not thank us for it? Oh well, I'm willing to bear that particular cross...

Action urged on asteroids

dan mcmaster — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:48:59 GMT

well when they do find a rock that will hit us they will just stand around and talk about what to do till its to late to do anything.kinda like what the pollitions do

Action urged on asteroids

Dan, Maryland — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:37:45 GMT

I woke-up this morning feeling the stresses in my life and realized having a little comic relief would probably be a good thing. I started reading the responses to this article and before long was laughing out loud without a care in the world. I know that identifies me as a lower tier life form to some but laughter is still the best medicine even for extinction level events. Now as I contemplate the end with all the seriousness that I can muster, I realize that even on the other side of this event there will still be morons that have way too much time on their hands to contribute in any meaningful or constructive way to the new world order.

Also I think Jimmy Neutron saved Retroville from a similar situation with one of his nifty inventions maybe we should get the blueprints .... it might save us a bunch of time & money

Action urged on asteroids

kevin la ca — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 07:11:15 GMT

I would like to know more I have some ideas that could help. but I belive that that is a civelion task. and our government needs to trust us more. with aid from our government it woul be a walk in the park

Action urged on asteroids

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:38:37 GMT

Ty Hicks wrote, “I beleive that it is pre-writen history in the bible and there is nothing that can be done to stop it. What will be will be.” I completely agree. However, many people thought Hitler was the Biblical antichrist. Had they taken the attitude that you can’t stop the Bible so why try then Hitler would have ruled the world. The planet was saved from that terrible tyranny because good Christians fought against what they thought may have been an unstoppable enemy. Nothing says that the next inbound is the one written about. So maybe, if we try to stop them all, we’ll be able to avert non-biblical disasters. Or we can always sit on our butts saying “but the bible says” as we suffer needlessly.

Oh, and Rick Ray.

And maybe Richard Harrison?

And others before and I’m sure after.

Richard Harrison,
You probably did hear that. So many words. What’s the range on one of those babies? How precisely does it have to be set off to have an effect? Can that effect be enough? I’m sure millions of people felt safe because the government said there was a plan. Never mind that the plan couldn’t work.

Curata et Industria,
The much talked about Tunguska event. Although there is some speculation that it was an exploding space craft, not a space rock. So you might not want to count that. Countless meteorites of varying size. You probably want to say that the biggest we’ve found is the biggest that is. But those were all seen after impact or not at all, maybe for a few seconds coming through the atmosphere. Video from 1978(?) of an apparently large meteor smoking across the sky. Detected near misses. But those didn’t hit the planet proper. And who knows how many undetected near misses? It’s like walking through a firefight and asking if anyone has actually seen a bullet coming at them. To answer the question why you get that feeling, it’s because you’re an idiot.

(Alan: He asked, I answered. It’s a legitimate answer. His motto seams to be “Close your eyes. What you don’t see can’t hurt you.” You’re aware that being hit by a car you don’t see still kills you, right? His premise is a great example of idiocy. You edit my comments frequently with less of a personal attack than this. But he invited this. Part of the reason that this particular bit of idiocy is getting a response from me when so much is let alone is that he has puffed up his credibility by saying, “I have always told my students …” If you’re policy is to let the invitation through, and apparently it is because you did, please allow this legitimate response. If for no other reason it’s for journalistic consistency.)

Andrew S.,
There are actually some things we can do for some situations. These are pretty much the after our lifetime impacts, but should we not worry about our prodigy? But even lacking an impact event, I’m all for grabbing a beer and taking a lawn chair to the roof.

Linda Gabelman,
The threats are not increasing only our awareness of them. The same was true of many diseases with the advent of the microscope. During the Civil War doctors would take there ungloved, bloody hands from one patient to the next because they were unaware of bloodborne diseases. We are now aware of such things. No greater threat of smallpox. No greater threat of measles. The question you didn’t ask correlates to whether or not you take your kids for immunizations.

I guess the mean, useless, ranty, paranoid part of Micheal Becker’s comment got edited??????

Action urged on asteroids

Jason B, MN — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:18:55 GMT

Would it realy be all that bad if a celestial body of any sorts hit us? Extinction of the human race, unfortanetly all other mammals as well, wouldn't be that terrible. As a human in our current society all i ever see is greed, induced poverty, and depression at every corner of the world, what do we realy have worth saving?

Action urged on asteroids

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:58:01 GMT

John Jung, El toro "Praise GOD! Just hope everyone is ready for it!"

Just what are you implying? It sounds like you want this to happen claiming it's gods will to wipe out humanity.

Action urged on asteroids

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:19:03 GMT

The Winslow AZ meteor crater was a 5 Megaton blast resulting from an ~100 meter rock. It happened 50,000 years ago. Other than the Russian event in Tunguska in 1905, which didn't even leave a crater and is still not fully explained, theer is every reason to believe these space rocks are a threat. I'm not even sure the current system can detect 100 meter wide rocks in space far enough out to determine if it is heading for us. But this picture may remind us of what can happen and WILL happen. http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1001967736011570133XtlWPePfLQ

Action urged on asteroids

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:44:13 GMT

I went to meteor crater earlier this year. It is truly impressive. One of the places that makes me feel very small. You can see the excavation in the picture Thomas Ashby linked to. Up close you can see where the surface of rocks melted in the heat. I don't imagine that anyone who witnesses an event like that, meaning out to the horizon, could live to tell. Add to the immediate destruction the climatologic effects and it's a bad deal for everyone who didn't witness it. A 1/4 moon sized object would be kinder because it would be immediate across the globe. I'd still hate to be around a five meter rock when it comes down because we didn't think it worth while to defend against.

Action urged on asteroids

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:52:27 GMT

I was a off on what I said about the Winslow crater impactor. It was about 50 meters dia. - solid nickel-iron - was traveling 28,000 mph and was a 10 megaton blast. That would have destroyed NYC. Or thought of another way if something like it hit the ocean, significant tidal waves would result but of course the damage would be far less.

"Stony asteroids with a diameter less than about 100 metres generally do not reach the Earth's surface. These objects usually explode several kilometres above the surface (an "airburst"). This was probably the case with the "Tunguska" Siberian event in 1908. The kinetic energy involved is substantial - a typical impact by a 50m object releases about 10 megatons of TNT and that of a 100m object releases about 75 Mt (the actual kinetic energy depends on several factors such as speed and density and can vary by a factor of more than 10). These explosions are equivalent in energy to large thermonuclear explosions and they can cause devastation over thousands of square kilometres - in the case of Tunguska the area of destruction was about 2,000 sq km or a circle of radius 25km.. Fortunately the region was sparsely populated and had little effect on humans (unlike now when it could not have been mistaken for a hostile nuclear explosion)."

Action urged on asteroids

Jay, Colorado Springs, CO — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:48:41 GMT

Small mindedness is just amazing to me. All it takes is one and all the money, all the make-work programs, all the let's fix the planet ideas are over. It won't mean a thing.

Some things are more important than money. Like life, the continuation of the human race and the ability to get off this rock. How small minded and shallow we all are that we chain ourselves to some self-imposed albatross that didn't exist 500 years ago.

If scientists did not see a 10 meter object until 10 hours ago, how many hours would it be if it was 100 meters? 100 hours?

Odds are made to be broken. Look at the odds of a man, being struck by lighting, at a gas station. Or hitting any pick 6 lottery. Or the odds of being on the next plane in the US to have a catastrophic crash?

The scientists who are blowing off a NEO Collision are being just too sure and way too cocky. In other words, they are being way too unscientific with the viability of the human race.

Action urged on asteroids

Juan Carlos del Santiago, Roswell, New Mexico — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:30:55 GMT

Are these people nuts? We are facing a global ecomomic crisis, banks are collapsing, the U.S. is 9.3 trillion dollars in debt and engaged in a perpetual war that has killed thousands, people are losing their homes, etc...ad infinitum, and these folks are concerned about an asteroid or comet striking the earth! How many billions of dollars will be wasted frivolously on this and similar projects while there are people without roofs over their heads or enough food to eat?

Action urged on asteroids

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:33:41 GMT

That is the scariest possibility. Many more potential air bursts than planet killers. Any one air burst could lead to us volleying our own destruction. A cosmic-political-military end to mankind.

Action urged on asteroids

jun macalino, Philippines — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:42:09 GMT

Although the probability of this scenario happenning is not to be taken very lightly...hopefully it will never happen, its better to experience a global financial crisis.

Action urged on asteroids

Lenardo the Nardo — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:22:20 GMT

Obama will fix it, he's going to fix EVERYTHING!!!

Action urged on asteroids

BMS, VA — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:26:19 GMT

According to your MSNBC headlines, it has already hit. The impact site was Wall Street. Thankfully, it missed all the Democrats in Congress, so they can throw my Grandkids' earnings away into that big deep crater the impact left. Idiot.

Action urged on asteroids

Robert Warren, South Bend, Indiana — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:34:25 GMT

The United States hasn't always been the leader in space research or exploration. There was no reason for it to be at the time, since the politicians were more interested in what they could develop for spying on other countries. So today we do not have the same kind of tensions that we had during the cold war. Today we have the tensions of terrorism, and religious bigotry. When the cold war ended, sure we were disarming, by decreasing the size of our nuclear arsenals. But why instead of continuing to spend billions on trying to figure out how to better fight our fellow humans on this planet, why didn't we spend that money or at least a greater percentage on space exploration. If we could spend more on space, then maybe some of today's kids could look up and tell themselves that maybe, just maybe, if they studied hard enough, maybe they could go up there one day. But we didn't spend the money that way, so today instead of offering the kids a course of action that would have been a challenge to them, we offered them poverty, lack of good paying jobs, crime, drugs, etc.. The report by the ASE and the B612 foundation again offers not only our kids, but also ourselves a new challenge, a new way of life, by using technology not to destroy human life, but to save it, maybe by ultimately spreading mankind throughout the solar system, and not all on this one lump of rock. Who knows what we might find out there, or what we might learn out there if we do expand out there? I firmly believe that by having a challenge such as going into space, living there, and expanding out there, will do more for humankind than all of the welfare programs that have ever existed or will ever exist. We will have something greater than ourselves to look at, to strive for, to live for. The Star Trek movie "First Contact" clearly addresses this issue when the woman from the Earth of after the 3rd World War asks about how they paid for all of the Enterprise? Jean Luc says that in the future they don't use money. Instead the value the knowledge, and the challenge of getting there. The rest would than be completely up to us.

Action urged on asteroids

Matt Snyder, Cincinnati, OH — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:16:37 GMT

The funny thing about humans is that we are so fixed on preserving, fixing, and improving life, that we rarely enjoy it. Everyone just needs to smoke a j and relax.

Action urged on asteroids

James Bejjani, Merrylands, Sydney — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:37:36 GMT

how big are asteroids? if we let an asteroid burn up in our atmosphere would the rock split in two and cause a catastrophic collision on other countries or even worse in the ocean? if an asteroid hits the sea would it cause a massive tidal wave?

Action urged on asteroids

Roland Edison — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:28:59 GMT

It's amazing how the talk of human extinction seems to warrant people to speak about their beliefs and not human continuity, and that's a problem the UN will face... -sigh-