NASA's Late Asteroid Announcement (asteroid 2020 GH2 (NEO); Will NASA Ever be Prepared for a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid?
Hello everyone and welcome to my blog once again. Some post back, I gave a reply to @crypto.piotr about a Potentially Hazardous asteroid hitting the earth surface and at the end, I realize that a lot of people had a lot of questions and were concerned about our planet’s safety. I didn’t want to write a post about asteroid but I noticed on April 13th while my little space study that on April 11th 2020, NASA discovered an asteroid a big as a family house that will be passing by earth on the 15th of April 2020 and that lead to the writing of this post. Thanks to @awah, @futurekr, @carlos84, @ajewa, @fucho80, @reinaldoverdu (63) and @reinaldoverdu for their comment on my previous post on Asteroid, i hope to get more response from people on this post.
It is good that the Asteroid known as asteroid 2020 GH2 (NEO) of about 70 to 100 feet wide passed by earth at a distance of 220,000 miles from the earth, thereby not causing any danger to earth (because it didn’t collide with earth), although an asteroid hit will become a thing of concern if it comes close to hitting the weather satellite at 22,000 miles away from the earth.
What are my concerns about this sudden late discovering of asteroids?
We must give kudos to NASA and scientist and astronomers who dedicate endless time looking over our home (Earth) but it becomes more disturbing when asteroids are suddenly discovered few hours before they zip or pass by earth. This has happened consecutively in 2 years, 2019 and 2020 respectively. My questions are
- Why are scientist finding hazardous objects in space late?
- What would happen to the safety of humans and other living species if an asteroid half the size of mountain Everest (like the asteroid 1998 OR2 which will skirt through earth at 3.9 miles on April 29th 2020) decides to hit earth and NASA and other space scientist notice late?
- What can be done to help NASA and other scientist view the solar system better?
- How do we combat a potentially hazardous object from hitting or colliding with earth?
- Should full AI be introduced into space to help with keeping track?
At the end of this post, I will love to hear your opinion on this as it really affects the existence of our planet and the living species in it.
Credit: NASA CNEOS/Scott Sutherland
My Thoughts on the questions raised above
Why are scientist finding hazardous objects in space late?
Do we say it is negligence on the part of space scientist and NASA, or should we say because we do not have the technological equipment to study to the earth outer space and the solar system or are the rocks and other space object really small? This is one thing I want to understand.
What would happen to the safety of humans and other living species if an asteroid half the size of mountain Everest (like the asteroid 1998 OR2 which will skirt through earth at 3.9 miles on April 29th 2020) decides to hit earth and NASA and other space scientist notice late?
We need to hope this doesn’t happen but with NASA discovering new asteroids at the eleventh hour, we might have to prepare for the worst but having an asteroid like 1998 OR2 hitting the earth surface without a prior notice or a late notice would be a disaster.
What can be done to help NASA and other scientist view the solar system better?
NASA have been spending billions of dollar on the James Webb space telescope which is believed to be the beginning of a new era for space study as the telescope can see as 1.5 million kilometers clearly but the project is yet be completed after 4 years since 2016. One of NASA’s major problem to shooting things to space is cost as there are no renewable space craft to make cost cheaper, it would have been a good idea to have artificial intelligence in space so as to notify space scientist of close or near earth objects.
How do we combat a potentially hazardous object from hitting or colliding with earth?
NASA has been looking at space blasting with nuclear weapon rockets as well as gravity diversion of objects coming in collision with the earth but the truth is that they are still theoretical and has not been proven that if there is a shoot, it will hit the object. So this mean that NASA isn’t ready currently for any hit in the nearest future.
Should AI be introduced into space to help with keeping track?
A lot of people are saying there is no full artificial intelligent currently but is it possible to get one to space so as to keep us updated on reports from space without potentially causing any damage in the future. I will leave you to answer that.
Let me know your thoughts on the questions above. Thanks for reading through.
the answers to all these questions undoubtedly seem like science fiction. I believe that one of the options to combat these asteroids is the famous Galaxy Ace war program, where opposing orbiting satellites with atmasvlaser to destroy these asteroids is both a good and dangerous option.
Excellent post, I feel in the space reading your posts! 👍
Science fiction 😉😉😉, you have a point more so most science fictions are becoming a reality
Hello friend @gbenga
This is a disturbing publication, perhaps because one is focused on solving things of the earth, of the day to day life as ordinary citizens, we do not realize those other dangers that are, without a doubt, real.
Something that particularly I do not explain, how is this that more than 30 years ago man reached the moon and now with a much more developed degree of technology can not foresee in advance that a large meteorite is approaching the earth's surface? These are things that make you think, I do not suggest with this that they should send the astronauts to circulate the universe in search of potential threats, but if there are doubts about certain things.
I think we're just a point in space, not more. And it's verifiable when an object like a steroid could wipe us out in a matter of seconds, just as other planets or stars have done at other times. I don't even want to imagine it.
Artificial intelligence has had great advances in recent years, I think it could be a solution to this problem that arises.
I also believe that the economic limitation in these projects is great. The costs are very high.
One thing that amazes me is the fact that the trip to moon that was believed to be an open door to greater space explorations have now become a mission impossible with the technology available currently.
I also understand that one of the greatest challenge for the space industry is funds but at the same time spending $10 billion on James Webb space Telescope is enough to get it running which will make it work perfectly.
There's a theory about the moon trip. It's that it didn't really happen. That at that time the first people to put a satellite in space were the Russians, and the Americans didn't want to be left behind, so they put on a whole show about the *moon trip. Maybe that could explain why they haven't sent anyone back, because logic says that everything has evolved, it should be easier to get back on the moon...
These are theories.
The second time in the space of 365 days that NASA will be seeing an asteroid late. It could caused by a lot of things including having so many asteroids in space to lack of proper technological equipment.
AI could help but having the James Webb space Telescope would be a better one to help in astronomy.
It looks like NASA have a lot to look out for that an asteroid that could be potentially hazardous doesn't really matter. Using AI might be very helpful.
I think that looking for an asteroid in deep space is like looking for a pin in a haystack. They are incredibly difficult to see as there is just so much space to look at. We have limited telescopes and facilities to track. When we do have telescopes, science wants to use them for other reasons.
It is inevitable though that we will be hit by something at some point which will really damage our planet. That could be thousands or millions of years away. Probability says not to worry too much.
Could we do anything? I am not sure whether our existing technology can do much. Nuclear weapons seem like the best option. However, hopefully, one day we can develop better technology to protect us and better technology to prevent them.
Until then, hopefully probability will protect us.
Nice post @gbenga - upvoted
You are absolutely correct, looking for an asteroid is like looking for a pin but the lack of sufficient telescope is a barrier to finding asteroids this could be because of cost (imagine the James Webb Telescope costing over 10 billion dollar)
If this happens, which i am pray not to experience, we will have to evacuate the region that might be affected. On the other hands it would be cool if we colonize another planet to ensure human safety.
No one wants to experience a potentially hazardous asteroid hitting the earth, it can be very disastrous.
I watched a video, and it made it clear that in space some asteroid look like a pitch of salt so they might be difficult to see but the obvious still remains that better technological advancement need to put in place so astronomers can see the space and the solar system clearly.
I guess the reason why asteroids are being missed is because they aren't considered a major threat, it shouldn't be a problem dedicating a Telescope to monitoring the movement of asteroids.
AI could be a very good option also, creating better Telescope for the purpose of asteroids and meteroid won't be bad
Yes, Artificial intelligence can be a very good way to monitor asteroids in space.
Really scary but very important information you have sharing. But the main thing is NASA know how to handle this type of situation and specific group working on this subject daily and doing a research. So may be they are prepared.
I will believe that they are prepared but they are still looking for a way to eliminate a potentially hazardous asteroid hitting earth.
Woo friend @gbenga, it is very worrying what you say, besides that I think the same as you, I do not think that Naza is in the capacity to stop a collision like this unfortunately for us.
With regard to AI, everything that is necessary and helps to detect and stop any threat to the earth must be used.
Thanks for the mention and take us into account in this publication!
Thanks a lot @fucho80 for the comment. I believe someday that AI will be of great importance to space science.
This is an important and detailed information although it is one that so many people like to ignore, great publication.