New Gravity Waves Detector

This looks fascinating. Apparently they are close to proving a key part of Einstein's General Theory by detecting Gravity Waves that could allow scientists to create a new tool to look at the Universe with. Here's the link to the BBC story: news.bbc.co.uk...

This would be incredible if they are successful in detecting gravity waves. The accuracy of this instrument is unbelievable.

"The displacement sensitivity of Geo 600 is one three-thousandth of the diameter of a proton," explains Professor Karsten Danzmann, from the Albert Einstein Institute and Hanover University.

"Put another way, it's equivalent to measuring a change of one hydrogen atom diameter in the distance from the Earth to the Sun."

This technology seems to have a great potential, it makes me wonder though, does anyone think that if they do have their eureka moment that we will be able to detect any asteroid out there? Or anything we wanted for that matter. It does have the potential to serve as a great heads up tech. If possible we would just need to identify what things look like thru such techonology. Great find by the way.

Well, there are so many NEO objects whizzing about up there, that frankly anything that gives us at least some advanced warning would be bloody great! I'd hate to see a major impact.

Definitely very cool Assuming that they can meet the incredibly exact construction and measurement requirements that this thing will need (and the article claims they can) then this should work just fine.

As for the NEO ojbects in outer space, I don't think it will help us find them with any more frequency than we already do, but it will let us know (for all practical purposes) their exact position, so it will take much less time to determine whether a NEO is a threat or not.

What I mean by that in example:
Suppose we find X NEOs this year. We will probably find roughly the same next year. But, instead of having to watch the objects for extended periods of time to figure out just where they are and whether they will hit earth or not, it should take much less time to do that.

Good stuff Darkmind. Excellent reading.

When I read the title I was hoping that it was about the NASA GRACE and JASON missions. I have been keeping my eye out for some results from them on maping earths gravity field.

This article was great though. I will have to look up more on the GEO 600 and the 2 Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory.

Thanks

Originally posted by Darkmind
Well, there are so many NEO objects whizzing about up there, that frankly anything that gives us at least some advanced warning would be bloody great! I'd hate to see a major impact.

Although the book is about 10 years old I found the book Rogue Asteroids and Doomsday Comets to be very informative. I've read it 4 times in the last 10 years or so.