The Plan To Protect Earth Against Asteroids (Or Lack Thereof)

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• published: 17 Jan 2016
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Episode 2 of 5 Check us out on iTunes! http://testtube.com/podcast Please Subscribe! http://testu.be/1FjtHn5 Between 2000 and 2013, 26 explosions in Earth’s atmosphere the size of nuclear bombs were caused by asteroids. That's 3 to 10 times more common than previously thought. + + + + + + + + Previous Episode: Asteroids, Comets, & Meteors: What’s the Difference?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JU5Y_2Tr_E&list;=PLwwOk5fvpuuL2J7skzC2usTOj2fmZqSbC&index;=1 + + + + + + + + Sources: Asteroid Fast Facts: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/overview/fastfacts.html “Every day, Earth is bombarded with more than 100 tons of dust and sand-sized particles. About once a year, an automobile-sized asteroid hits Earth's atmosphere, creates an impressive fireball, and burns up before reaching the surface." Here’s How Often Small Asteroids Enter Earth’s Atmosphere!: http://earthsky.org/space/heres-how-often-small-asteroids-enter-earths-atmosphere “NASA’s Near Earth Object (NEO) Program released this new map on November 14, 2014. It shows what more and more people are beginning to realize: that small asteroids enter Earth’s atmosphere frequently." Russian Meteor’s Air Blast Was One For The Record Books: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/11/131106-russian-meteor-chelyabinsk-airburst-500-kilotons/ “The February meteor blast over central Russia glowed 30 times brighter than the sun, sunburned observers, and delivered the biggest astronomical punch felt on Earth in a century, report scientists." Scientists Reveal The Full Power Of The Chelyabinsk Meteor Explosion: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/nov/06/chelyabinsk-meteor-russia “Scientists have published the most complete picture yet of the devastation caused by the meteor that exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia this year." Powerful Asteroids Strike Earth With Surprising Frequency (Video): http://www.space.com/25590-asteroid-impacts-earth-day-b612-video.html “Since the start of the 21st century, dozens of incoming asteroids have slammed into Earth, some of them packing far more energy than a city-destroying atomic bomb, a new animation illustrates." World’s Largest Asteroid Crater Unearthed In Australia: http://time.com/3754917/asteroid-impact-australia/ “Scientists have discovered evidence of a 250-mile wide crater in central Australia they believe was created by a colossal asteroid hundreds of millions of years ago." Why Can’t We Prevent An Asteroid Strike?: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/space/asteroid-detection-and-deflection/ “When a meteor streaked over Russia last month and exploded in the sky above Chelyabinsk, shattering windows and injuring nearly 1,500 people, it was a reminder that the Earth moves blithely through a curtain of speeding asteroids, some of which occasionally pay a visit." NASA Maps Dangerous Asteroids That May Threaten Earth: http://www.space.com/22369-nasa-asteroid-threat-map.html “If you've seen films like "Armageddon," you know the potential threat asteroids can be for Earth. To meet that threat, NASA has built a map like no other: a plot of every dangerous asteroid that could potentially endanger our planet … at least the ones we know about." Gravity-Powered Asteroid Tractor Proposed To Thwart Impact: http://www.space.com/1763-gravity-powered-asteroid-tractor-proposed-thwart-impact.html “An asteroid the size of two football fields could wipe out a large city or set off a series of tsunamis across the world. The threat of such an Earth-smashing asteroid has lead scientists to dream up several methods of defending the planet against such a catastrophe." What Are Laser Bees?: http://www.planetary.org/explore/projects/laser-bees/what-are-laser-bees.html “This technique involves many small spacecraft -- each carrying a laser -- swarming around a near-Earth asteroid. The spacecraft could precisely focus their powerful lasers pumped by sunlight onto a tiny spot on the asteroid, vaporizing the rock and metal, and creating a jet plume of super-heated gases and debris." + + + + + + + + TestTube Plus is built for enthusiastic science fans seeking out comprehensive conversations on the geeky topics they love. Host Trace Dominguez digs beyond the usual scope to deliver details, developments and opinions on advanced topics like AI, string theory and Mars exploration. TestTube Plus is also offered as an audio podcast on iTunes. + + + + + + + + Trace Dominguez on Twitter https://twitter.com/TraceDominguez TestTube on Facebook https://facebook.com/testtubenetwork TestTube on Google+ http://gplus.to/TestTube + + + + + + + +