Posted on 09/01/2022 8:46:54 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The space agency estimates there are about 25,000 asteroids of at least 140m in diameter near Earth's orbit. While the odds of them crashing into our planet at any given time are minuscule, Congress directed Nasa to find 90 per cent of them by 2020.
Scientists have found fewer than half. But for reasons it has not publicly explained, the administration has proposed delaying by two years, until 2028, the launch of an infrared space telescope meant to find those threatening asteroids and sharply cutting its budget for next year.
About 500 times a year, researchers identify asteroids of at least 140m in diameter near Earth's orbit.
They're not quite as big as the 10km to 15km asteroid that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs, but there's more of them and they're harder to find.
Such asteroid strikes happen rarely: The same report put the average interval between them at 20,000 years. Much more frequently, Earth gets the smaller variety space objects that leave their own trail of destruction.
In 2013, a roughly 20m asteroid broke apart about 25km above the town of Chelyabinsk, Russia, shattering windows and injuring more than 1,600 people. Russia also was the site of the most destructive asteroid in recorded human history.
For now, Nasa is still mostly reliant on ground-based observations to spot objects of 140m or more. Officials also repurposed a space telescope, called Neowise, that was originally meant to find planets - but it's only discovered five large asteroids this year.
The Surveyor telescope is projected to have a wider field of vision, allowing scientists to get a broader landscape of nearby asteroids,,, And its infrared sensors will spot dark asteroids invisible to the naked eye.
(Excerpt) Read more at straitstimes.com ...
in order to do... wut?
Fairly simple. They’re running out of money.
S.M.O.D.
“Trillions for defense against GlobalClimateWarmingChange. Not one penny against a real threat.” - Pedo Hitler
Because MAGA republicans are a greater threat. I wish I could think that was sarcasm.
“in order to do... wut?”
Fund gender change operations for elementary school kids?
"They ran out of quarters?"
One can take some comfort in the fact that the Biden admin is a confederacy of dunces. But only some.
Hahaha
Now that right there is funny.
I don’t care who you are. LOL
Well, maybe they may have recalled from the Revelation to John that Wormwood is on its way ... and their spiritual bosses don’t want people repenting?
Can there be any doubt? Bidet is truly an enemy of all humanity.
“forgive” student loans. Much more important, apparently.
... women and minorities hardest hit....
Notice how they have reverted to Obama’s White Hut days: “WHITE HOUSE says/does this or that. “ When the rightful president was leading the country, it was “TRUMP does/says this or that.”
Finally
Science
I am 55. I remember that game well.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.