Science
Related: About this forumAsteroid defense: any feasible ideas or we are just doomed theoretically ?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026662521That thread made me think about this. Note I said theoretically. I'm not losing any sleep over this.
trotsky
(49,533 posts)If we had 1000 years notice, we could probably divert one even with today's technology. Just a long, slow, steady push to veer it slightly off course would work fine.
100 years? Maybe if we quickly dumped a bunch of money into a research project to generate incredible thrust, we'd stand a decent chance.
10 or less? Everybody bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.
steve2470
(37,457 posts)High-powered lasers ? Or is that just science fiction stuff ?
trotsky
(49,533 posts)Or just a rocket engine with a large fuel supply. Push for a few months, years, you'll get it diverted enough. Just a little adjustment early enough and you make a huge difference.
Maedhros
(10,007 posts)while it was sufficiently far away such that the explosion would alter the asteroid's trajectory just enough to miss us.
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)If it's far enough away, only a relatively small nudge is needed to change it out our path. Bomb, crash a spacecraft, or even the gravitational pull from a spacecraft parked near it.
And if it's big enough to cause havoc, we'll likely see it when it's far enough away.
csziggy
(34,136 posts)I wasn't paying attention - taking a break at a seminar in Orlando where the resort had the NASA channel on as default - so I didn't catch the complete discussion. But the part I listened to suggested that if we have enough warning, just painting parts of an asteroid could deflect its orbit enough to miss the Earth. Solar wind, I guess would be the motivating factor.
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)csziggy
(34,136 posts)immoderate
(20,885 posts)--imm
csziggy
(34,136 posts)I guess that would be micro-gravity?
immoderate
(20,885 posts)It's regular gravity. But the masses are small.
--imm
krispos42
(49,445 posts)...donated in a crater of the asteroid.
The crater would focus the blast, creating a brief but very strong push in one direction.
If you wait until the crater is in the right orientation, you could speed up or slow down the asteroid slightly, resulting in a near-miss months or years down the line. Same thing with a sideways shove.
Multiple donations could be made to occur. The blast would be on the surface so it's unlikely to break the rock up, but a few nudges plus time and distance could turn a hit into a miss.
immoderate
(20,885 posts)and apply some force that moves it 1 foot per mile traveled, (like a mass traveling alongside) then its course will be diverted by 19,000 miles. Earth is only 8,000 miles in diameter.
No big deal.
--imm