Originally posted by Soylent Green Is People
reply to post by Iamonlyhuman
It still seems to me that according to Fig. 8, the NEO WISE program could still discover about 5% of 250 meter NEOs, 10% of 500 meter NEOs and
about 25% of 1000 meter NEOs. The narrative portion of the study specifically mentioned 20% of all 700 meter objects.
Are you saying that they should not use WISE because they will not be able to discover the smallest NEO threats? What is the problem with discovering
larger NEO threats that could otherwise go undiscovered because they are "dark" C-types?
I think 10% of 500 meter NEOs and 20 % of 700 meter NEOs is a good start -- especially considering that some of these low-albedo objects may not be
discoverable otherwise. It seems to me that the NEO program could use all the help it can get.
Furthermore, by reading between the lines, it seems NASA also views this as a test-bed for future WISE-style instruments that could survey the sky
over a longer duration, searching for more NEOs. It seems logical to me that this aspect also adds to the valid reasons for using WISE for NEO
detection and discovery.
...and I'm still not exactly sure what this has to do with Nibiru.
I can see a little perspective is needed. I put together this list from various sources easily searched:
Perspective:
85% of the 1,000 meter NEOs have been identified – extinction event, global effect
? of the 300 meter NEOs have been identified – large sub-global effect
15% of the 140 meter NEOs have been identified – regional (state or seaboard) event Roughly equivalent to 150 million tons of TNT, or more than
10,000 times that of the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima
5% of the 50 meter NEOs have been identified – citywide damage
The 300 meter NEOs are between 15% and 85% identified, probably somewhere around 65%. The reason for the smaller percentages of “smaller”
asteroids that are identified is because there are so many more. Scientists estimate that there are 100,000 140 meter NEOs out there and only 1,100
1,000 meter NEOs. I could not find data on the probability of impact for these categories of NEOs but I think it’s very logical to assume that the
probability of impact of 140 meter NEOs is significantly higher than 300 meter and 1,000 meter NEOs due only to the much larger numbers of them.
You talk about the 140 meter NEOs as “the smallest NEO threat”, they are not! They are the BIGGEST threat! NASA and the politicians have decided
that the 140 meter scenerio above is not acceptable (and I agree with them, don’t you?) and that’s why they have set the minimum mandate to
discover and track 90% (just 90%, btw) of these. While I agree that we should identify as many larger 500 – 700 meter NEOs as we can (and we are
doing quite well at that already), the numbers just don’t support the argument that transferring this amount of money from the
already vastly
under-funded NEO program to WISE, which cannot identify the BIGGEST risk NEOs, just for the sake of science and surveying the sky. I DO have faith
in our leaders intelligence, what I DO NOT have faith in is their traightforwardness.
Since they felt it necessary to discover and track NEOs that have the potential to wipe the eastern seaboard off the face of the map (and I agree with
them), why would they then take money from that program and put it towards another program unless that other program showed a risk that was even more
significant. The only thing in the mission of WISE that that could be is “uncovering the coldest stars, called brown dwarfs, perhaps even one closer
to us than our closest known neighbor”. Did you know that they had cut back tremendously on WISE in 2006 and were even considering canceling the
project? What did they learn that made them not only reconsider but actually push the schedule up for it?
NASA Cutbacks Cause Uncertainty Among Space Researchers – June 16, 2006
For the Explorer spacecraft known as WISE (Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer), the road has been long and the end is not in sight. "Five years
out from the original proposal for the project, we are still at least 4 years away from launch--if we are lucky," says Edward Wright, a professor of
physics and astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles, and WISE principal investigator. Wright and his team expected to get the green
light earlier this year to enter the final stages of study; instead, they got a letter from NASA saying their 2006 funding was being cut from $70
million to $30 million, and that before the year is over, a decision will be made whether to scrap the mission entirely.
As far as Nibiru is concerned, I really don’t care if this threat is called Nibiru or whatever, seriously. It’s just that it certainly does appear
that they know there’s a brown dwarf out there and that it’s risk to the planet Earth is greater than that of the NEOs out there.
Remember this?
www.space.com...∩=The+scar+from+the+probably+impact+appeared+Jul
y+19+in+Jupiter%27s+southern+hemisphere%2C+and+has+grown+to+a+size+greater+than+the+extent+of+the+Pacific+Ocean.+This+infrared+image+taken+with+Keck+I
I+on+July+20+shows+the+new+feature+observed+on+Jupiter+and+its+relative+size+compared+to+Earth.+Credit%3A+Paul+Kalas+(UCB)%2C+Michael+Fitzgerald+(LLNL
%2FUCB)%2C+Franck+Marchis+(SETI+Institute%2FUCB)%2C+James+Graham+(UCB)
The scar from the probably impact appeared July 19 in Jupiter's southern hemisphere, and has grown to a size greater than the extent of the
Pacific Ocean. This infrared image taken with Keck II on July 20 shows the new feature observed on Jupiter and its relative size compared to Earth.
Credit: Paul Kalas (UCB), Michael Fitzgerald (LLNL/UCB), Franck Marchis (SETI Institute/UCB), James Graham (UCB)
NASA didn’t even know it was out there.
Unlike what you see in movies, NASA estimates that after discovery of an asteroid on an impact course with Earth, it would take 10 years to do
characterization (of the asteroid or comet) and mitigation strategy planning before they could actually implement the mitigation strategy. Don’t you
think it’s very important, then, to discover these NEOs as soon as possible so you can track them and know if they are a concern?? Obviously, it's
not as important as
something else.