Posted on 10/03/2002 4:24:29 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
By Deborah Zabarenko
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even small asteroids that never hit Earth could have deadly consequences, because they might be mistaken for nuclear blasts by nations that lack the equipment to tell the difference, scientists said on Thursday.
One such asteroid event occurred June 6, when U.S. early warning satellites detected a flash over the Mediterranean that indicated an energy release comparable to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, U.S. Brig. Gen. Simon Worden told a congressional hearing.
The flash occurred when an asteroid perhaps 10 yards in diameter slammed into Earth's atmosphere, producing a shock wave that would have rattled any vessels in the area and might have caused minor damage, Worden said.
Little notice was taken of the event at the time, but Worden suggested that if it had occurred a few hours earlier and taken place over India and Pakistan, the outcome might have been horrifying.
"To our knowledge, neither of those nations have the sophisticated sensors that can determine the difference between a natural NEO (Near Earth Object, such as an asteroid) and a nuclear detonation," Worden said.
"The resulting panic in the nuclear-armed and hair-triggered opposing forces could have been the spark that ignited a nuclear horror we have avoided for over half a century," he told a committee investigating the risk posed by asteroids and other objects that might collide with Earth.
SHOCK WAVES AND TSUNAMIS
Astronomers have long been concerned about damage from asteroids, meteors and comets, and since 1998 NASA has worked to identify 90 percent of all large near-Earth objects -- those with a diameter of .6 miles or more -- by 2008.
NASA's head of space science, Ed Weiler, told the committee that scientists have identified 619 of the suspected big, dangerous asteroids, which is about half the number astronomers believe are out there.
This kind of large asteroid hits Earth a few times every million years, and when it does, causes regional calamity. By contrast, a so-called doomsday asteroid 3 miles across -- like the one believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs -- hits once every 10 million years or so.
The one that caused the flash over the Mediterranean in June was probably about the size of a car, and was harmless to Earth. Such asteroids hit the atmosphere twice a month.
However, asteroids ranging from about 100 feet to hundreds of yards can cause serious damage, including spawning a powerful shock wave or a tsunami if it lands in an ocean, causing widespread catastrophe if the tsunami occurs near a populated shore.
These smaller bodies are not part of NASA's survey, and Worden suggested there might be an Air Force role in tracking these smaller objects, and also the potential for sharing early warning of incoming celestial objects with other countries that lack the technology.
Worden said the United States is unique in the world in being able to determine whether an incoming object is an asteroid or a bomb in less than a minute.
The United States spends about $4 million a year to track asteroids and comets, but very little on strategies to get them out of Earth's way, scientists said last month.
(I hope I don't need a sarcasm tag).
Now you gave away our Iraq strategy!
"That wasn't a Nuke, it was a ... errr....um... ASTEROID! Yeah, an Asteroid! Here, check out this sattelite photo."
Regards
We do need to get a better catalog of possible Earth-intersecting asteroids. This is not a major threat, but in the right circumstances it could be bad.
(Now, if we could just figure out how to redirect the asteroid INTO Baghdad...)
ML/NJ
Second sentence in the article:
One such asteroid event occurred June 6, when U.S. early warning satellites detected a flash over the Mediterranean that indicated an energy release comparable to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, U.S. Brig. Gen. Simon Worden told a congressional hearing.
Please!
I've actually seen the breakup of a hugh meteorite, and heard its sonic boom. (c. 1968) I never, for a minute, thought the Russians were attacking.
This article talks about an event witnessed only by earth satellites, and then worries about the reaction in third world countries that don't have satellites, and would never notice.
The unshaven people with towels on their heads are the threat, not asteroids.
ML/NJ
No comment? Or has everything been said?
Well, looking on the bright side, a large Asteroid couldn't be mistaken for anything else.
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