Planetary Defense for Cosmic Collisions - Research Paper Example

Planetary Defense For Cosmic Collisions Inserts His/Her Inserts Grade Inserts 15 May OUTLINEINTRODUCTION A. Cosmic Collisions are major issues of governments. B. The research focuses on the reality of cosmic collisions. C. The research focuses on the importance of setting up a planetary defense for cosmic collisions. D. The earth’s governments must prioritize the earth’s planetary defense for cosmic collisions. BODY A. Collisions are Reality. B. Homeland Security. C. Earth’s Defense against Cosmic Collisions. CONCLUSION A. Cosmic Collisions are priority topics of nations. B. The cosmic collisions are real and life- threatening. C. It is the world’s priority to set up a planetary defense for cosmic collisions. D. Indeed, the earth’s governments should increase its focus on ensuring the earth’s planetary defense for cosmic collisions. Planetary Defense For Cosmic Collisions Introduction. Cosmic Collisions are major issues of governments. The research focuses on the reality of cosmic collisions. The research focuses on the importance of setting up a planetary defense for cosmic collisions. The earth’s governments must prioritize the earth’s planetary defense for cosmic collisions. Collisions are reality. William Stiebing (1984;57) emphasized “A large comet or asteroid hurtles through space on a collision course with the earth. As the impact nears, the earth is racked by cataclysms: Volcanoes erupt simultaneously; earthquakes shatter what was once firm land; mountain-high tidal waves destroy continents and change the earths topography. A science fiction plot? Not according to many authors who have presented a similar scenario as historical fact over the years.” In addition, Ellen Tan (1996) proposed a collision or near-collision between the Earth and an asteroid, comet, or planet during the prehistoric time period is one of the reasons given for the untimely disappearance of the fabled Atlantis. The story stating that the collision from an asteroid, comet, or heavenly body is one of the reasons given for the deluge story, in the Genesis section of the Holy Bible. The same collision theory is also given for the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. Further, David Levy (1994;181) proposes “Imagine a peaceful, steamy night with mighty Triceratops drinking water from a pond, watching for their enemy Tyrannosaurus Rex. Brighter than the brightest stars, a comet dominates the night. For several weeks now, the comet has brightened as it approached the sun, its long tail making it look like a sword in the sky. By the next afternoon, it is all over. With large thunderclaps and a huge crash, the comet slams into the Earth in what is now the Caribbean basin, just off the coast of the present-day Yucatán.” The meteorite glowed brightly as it invades the Earth’s delicate atmosphere and evaporated. The comet is very huge that it literally plows through bringing the impression that the air is absent to slow down the incoming heavenly objects. As the heavenly object touches the water surface, high walls of water skyrocket from the point of falling object’s zooming impact into the air. Consequently, millions of tons of dust blast skyward in a gigantic cloud. Furthermore, the same author states that materials excavated from the collision site bounce back into the atmosphere in smaller splintered pieces. The smaller pieces are distributed over the entire Earth’s surface. Around the world, the splintered pieces dot the skies as many smaller meteors eagerly reentering the Earth’s atmosphere at deadly speed. Both the light and heat generated by the entering meteor pieces transform the entire atmosphere into a very hot furnace. The meteor storm continues to pester the Earth for an estimated 30 minutes. Consequently, the Earth’s surface temperature rises to unprecedented oven hot burning levels. The Earth’s surface suffers intensely from the meteor debris zooming like bullets into the Earth’s delicate mantle. The Earth’s dry plants immediately burn on impact. Proof of the story is based on soot from the exposed rocks from the time period which indicates the occurrence of a global fire burning the planet’s plants. Meteors cause irreparable damage to the Earth’s crust (Gibson, 2010). Likewise, Patricia Svarney (1996;180) reiterated “We can describe the impact craters left on the Earth by asteroids and comets all we want, but what were their true reverberations on the Earth? Certainly smaller strikes would have had a localized effect on organisms on the Earth. But what about the larger strikes over geologic time? What repercussions did they have on the Earth as a whole?” The same author indicates that the encroaching collision objects created huge holes on the surface of the Earth. The author opines that the small meteors or asteroids do not create any significant damaging effect on Earth’s land areas. The author believes that the Earth’s atmosphere will lessen the dangerous effects of the uninvited meteors, comet rocks and other heavenly objects. On the other hand, the moon will have no defense from the incoming asteroid rock, comet rock, planet or any other heavenly objects, because it has no atmosphere defense. However, the moon can better withstand the collisions from the incoming heavenly objects since the moon’s lower temperature indicates the moon’s surface has a thicker crust and mantle compared to the Earth’s crust and mantle. In addition, John Lewis (1997;10) insists “Long before modern times, long before there was such a thing as a university or a scientist, long before the invention of alphabets and the rise of literacy, our remote ancestors observed brilliant fireballs in the sky, heard powerful sonic booms, and saw occasional meteorites fall to the ground. Burdened with fewer institutions, there were fewer experts to challenge the evidence of the eyes and ears, fewer institutional prerogatives to maintain, less incentive to fit facts to theory ... and virtually no prospect of understanding the observed phenomena.” The same author further states that Chinese historical records indicate the people had seen meteorites falling from the sky. In the same manner, the historical records from Egypt and Greece indicate the people interpreted the falling meteorites as fireballs. Some of the lay people classified the falling meteorites as celestial (heavenly) bodies or beings falling on Earth’s surface. Historical records show that the blacksmiths used the highly popular meteorite pieces as ceremonial objects or as weapons. Further, Ron Morton (1996;267) states in his poem Leaping Lizards and Cosmic Nights “The time will come When a species takes its final turn, And ends up food for the burrowing worm. Hows it done, we whine and cry; A comet falling from the sky? Or perhaps a cosmic tilt That gives a species the ending jilt; On the other hand it may be ice, That makes life pay the final price.” The poem vividly shows the possibility of a comet falling on the head of an unsuspecting person, killing him or her instantly. With the collision, there is a strong probability that the entire human race will perish. The doomsday scenario cannot be brushed off easily. The line, “That makes life pay the Final Price” indicates that the leaders of the Earth’s nations must take serious and even life threatening consideration in their agenda to protect their citizens from a possible collision from the meteors, meteorites, comets and other dangerous heavenly objects. Using the above scenario, the leaders of the world must focus on prevention, instead of the cure. The statement “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” aptly applies the issue of preventing or reducing the damages triggered by the incoming collision from the meteors, meteorites, comets, asteroids and other heavenly objects. The Earth government’s allocation of large sums of money to protect its citizens from the unexpected collisions from meteors, meteorites, comets, asteroids and other heavenly objects is a very good objective. The objective is better to save on the defense program and later hire doctors and nurses to care for the wounded and the dying, where the culprits are meteors, meteorites, comets, asteroids and other heavenly objects. In addition, John Cater (2002;123) opines “we are almost certain that occasional impacts of large asteroids or comets into the oceans have generated giant tidal waves (tsunamis) which swept across the lowland areas of nearby continents. On theoretical grounds, this is thought to have occurred every million years or so. And yet we know of hardly any convincing examples from the geological record.” The author insists that the estimated record of any tsunami occurrence that had invaded southern Texas at the culmination of the Cretaceous historical period, triggered by the deadly impact of the comet or asteroid purported to have wiped out the dinosaurs from the face of the deadly, is being doubted by many scientists, specifically the sedimentologists. The scientists cast doubt as to what heavenly object crashed into the tranquil sea. Some scientists cannot accept that some unusual deposits of jumbled, chaotic shallow-marine sediments are remnants of meteors, meteorites, comets, asteroids, and other heavenly objects. Further, Bob Preston (2002;173) states “The discussions examined idealized meteoroids at sizes having effects that would be of tactical interest in conventional warfare. The impressive effects on earth of past large meteoroids suggest the possibility that natural objects—earth-crossing asteroids—could be used as weapons on a scale more suitable for strategic deterrence, as are nuclear arsenals.” The same author reiterates persons like Carl Sagan, in scrutinizing possibilities of preventing catastrophic heavenly objects from life threatening natural collisions, had voiced their concern regarding the possibility of increasing the Earth’s successful deflection of asteroid. For some of the world’s countries that already have nuclear arsenals, asteroid weapons can probably be of educational interest. Based on the relevant difficulty of getting a nuclear weapon or equivalent arsenals of mass destruction, the issue can be of greater practical interest. In terms of reducing the harmful effects of falling heavenly objects by the Earth’s atmosphere, Stephen Schneider mentions “Remember the famous photographs the astronauts took in space in the late 1960s that transformed global consciousness about the Earth? White clouds swirled around a blue globe with white ice caps and reddish deserts. The spiral patterns of storms stood out as bold features occupying regions the size of the New England states--1,000 kilometers or so in scale. Thats one way of looking at the atmosphere. An airplane passenger on a turbulent flight might think the atmospheric action is at the scale of hundreds of meters as the plane is tossed about in the sky.” The quote clearly shows that the Earth’s atmosphere can significantly help reduce the deadly impacts of the collisions. Dorothy Howell (1994;105) reiterates “Without need to call on a sentient directing agent for purposes of scientific analysis, events reveal a destination…The Big Bang represents the beginning of the universe and, significantly, all its contents. Stars are born, evolve, and die, as do solar systems.” The quote indicates that the Earth had a beginning. The quote also shows that the heavenly bodies are not permanent. The Big Bang theory states that the Earth’s existence would not have cropped up if the Big Bang did not occur. In the same light, the Big Bang theory indicates that there is relevance to the theory that meteors, meteorites, comets, asteroids, and other heavenly objects will generate increasing heat as they enter the Earth’s surface. Similarly, Zalmay Khalilzad mentions “Second, protecting the U.S. homeland against a variety of threats such as terrorism, missiles, and information operations is likely to become more prominent in guiding U.S. defense planning. Many traditional distinctions between theaters are eroding because of the spread of missile technologies. More states are likely to acquire the capability to attack the United States with missiles in the next 25 years. Those states that cannot take on the U.S. military directly might use terror as an asymmetric strategy against, among other things, the U.S. homeland. The information revolution and increased international connectivity and networking may well lead to new opportunities and threats.” In addition, Zalmay Khalilizad (2002;51) insists “many American political leaders appeared to view airpower almost as a first resort to enhance the credibility of their threats or to demonstrate their resolve… attacks from the air—be they isolated cruise missiles attacks against Sudan and Afghanistan, prolonged intimidation of Iraq, or a concerted bombing campaign against Serbia—offer U.S. political leaders the possibility of a coercive option that is precise, scalable, rapid, and relatively risk-free.” The quote indicates that the United States has the capacity to use the military power to reduce the effects of collisions with the universe objects. The United States can use the cruise missiles to attack approaching objects. One cruise can disintegrate an incoming meteorite into smaller non-damaging rocks. Further, Joseph Lepgold (1990;163) mentions “As Henry Kissinger predicted, managing the consequences of Moscows emergence as a military superpower was the major American challenge of the 1970s. In certain respects, U.S. officials faced fewer constraints after mid-decade than before. As a result, NATO benefited from substantial and dependable U.S. support… Conventional forces in Europe were less politically vulnerable than a few years earlier… Congressional pressures against the American presence in Europe and defense spending in general also eased considerably due to disillusionment with détente and a substantial Soviet military buildup.” The quote shows that the United States prioritizes the defense of its citizens. The quote indicates the United States can allocate funds to reduce or eliminate the damages brought about by the encroaching objects. Homeland Security. Furthermore, Eric Larson (Larson, 2001; 5) insists “The fundamental justification and broader context for homeland security activities can be found in the Preamble; Article I, Section 8; and Article IV, Section 4, of the Constitution of the United States. The Preamble includes the basic “insure domestic tranquility” and “provide for the common defense” justifications: [In] Order to form a more perfect Union.” The quote clearly shows that the United States prioritizes the safety and security of its citizens. Our nation’s homeland security activities include preventing collisions form the terrestrial objects. The quote indicates that the United States government can use its homeland security equipments to disintegrate any harmful terrestrial rock that enters the United States air space. Earth’s Defense against Cosmic Collisions. The Earth can set up a strong winnable defense against the Cosmic Collisions. The United Nations can convene all the power nations of the Earth to set up one global cosmic collision defense system. Richard Posner (2004) insists the United States NASA agency helps the United Nation in this objective by allocating $3.0 million each year to study any incoming heavenly objects, with emphasis on the composition, density, and other properties of the falling objects. NASA’s Joint Space Operations Center and the U.S. Space Surveillance Network are tasked to monitor and report any objects entering the Earth’s atmosphere (NASA, 2011). The system will include monitoring the vast universe for any possible threats to the Earth’s crust. The system will pinpoint any meteorite or asteroid rock that is on a direct collision with the Earth’s orbit. The system’s defense will include sending a craft to intercept the objects. If they are small in size, the Earth’s intercepting craft can use guided missiles to blast them. Valery Menshikov (2011) announced the current global defense against collision report indicated that in 2007 alone, an estimated 20,000 objects capable of entering Earth’s atmosphere and endangering the lives of the citizens had warranted more research. In March 1989, the asteroid 1989 FC passed the Earth within 1,000,000 kilometers. If it collided with Earth, the crash would have the impact of a 5 megaton nuclear explosion (Goldanskil, 1997). On the other hand, Gary Stanley (2009) theorizes the Earth’s defense can use other measures to serve in the future. If the objects cannot be destroyed by the guided missiles, the Earth’s defense can land on the incoming objects and plant an explosive on the rock, while it is still outside the Earth’s gravitational pull. The explosive can be triggered in order to break down the objects into thousands of harmless small pieces. Further, the Earth’s defense must be under the main control of the United Nations becase the United States, alone, cannot shoulder the earth’s defense against the incoming comet or asteroid rocks. On its part, the NASA was able to send a probe, Deep Impact, on the comet named Tempel 1 and blow the comet up into small harmful amounts (Wisnewski, 2007). Russia, single-handedly, cannot be fully responsible for the Earth’s defense against the incoming comet or asteroid rocks. A cooperation was perfected between the United States and Russia to protect the Earth from possible asteroid collisions - Project Spacewatch (Karash, 1999). China needs the help of other nations in protecting the Earth against the incoming comet or asteroid rocks. Japan cannot take sole responsibility to protect Earth’s delicate surface from the incoming comet or asteroid rocks. Germany should not be forced to take the sole job of protecting the Earth from invasions. Conclusion. Based on the above discussion, cosmic collisions are priority topic of nations. The cosmic collisions are real and life- threatening. It is the world’s priority to set up a planetary defense for cosmic collisions. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Levy, D. (1994). The Quest for Comets: An Explosive Trail of Beauty and Danger. New York: Plenum Press. The author is qualified to state collision of the asteroids triggered the disappearance of the dinosaurs. The author’s work augments current literature on the reality of collisions from meteors and other objects. The author presents convincing evidence that his concepts are verifiable and true. The readers of his work can easily comprehend the author’s concepts. The author’s work is relevant to the research topic. Lewis, J. (1997). Rain of Iron and Ice: The Very Real Threat of Comet and Asteroid Bombardment. Reading: Perseus Press. The author is qualified to state our remote ancestors had witnessed and endured prior collisions from meteors or asteroids. The author’s work augments current literature on the reality of collisions from meteors and other objects. The author presents convincing evidence that his concepts are verifiable and true. The readers of his work can easily comprehend the author’s concepts. The author’s work is relevant to the research topic. Patricia Svarney (1996;180) reiterated “We can describe the impact craters left on the Earth by asteroids and comets all we want, but what were their true reverberations on the Earth? Certainly smaller strikes would have had a localized effect on organisms on the Earth. But what about the larger strikes over geologic time? What repercussions did they have on the Earth as a whole?” Stiebing, W. (1984). Ancient Astronauts, Cosmic Collissions and other Popular Theories About Mans Past. Amherst: Prometheus Press. The author is qualified to state there were prior meteor collisions on earth. The author’s work augments current literature on the reality of collisions from meteors and other objects. The author presents convincing evidence that his concepts are verifiable and true. The readers of his work can easily comprehend the author’s concepts. The author’s work is relevant to the research topic. Svarney, P. (1996). Asteroid: Earth Destroyer or New Frontier? New York: Plenum Press. The same author indicates that craters are strong evidences that heavenly objects had historically collided with the earth, causing irreparable damage to vegetation and other life forms. The author’s work augments current literature on the reality of collisions from meteors and other objects. The author presents convincing evidence that his concepts are verifiable and true. The readers of his work can easily comprehend the author’s concepts. The author’s work is relevant to the research topic. Tan, E. (1996). Restless Genius: Robert Hooke and His Earthly Thoughts. New York: Oxford University Press. The author is qualified to state there were both prior meteor collision and asteroid collisions on earth. The author’s work augments current literature on the reality of collisions from meteors and other objects. The author presents convincing evidence that his concepts are verifiable and true. The readers of his work can easily comprehend the author’s concepts. The author’s work is relevant to the research topic. REFERENCES: Cater, J. (2002). The Key tothe Future: The Study of Earth History. New York: Tayloy & Francis Press. Gibson, R. (2010). Meteorite Impact: The Danger from Space and South Africas Mega -Impact. New York: Springer Press. Goldanskil, V. (1997). Essays of Soviet Scientists. New York: Springer Press. Howell, D. (1994). Ecology for Environmental Professionals. Westport: Quorum Books Press. Karash, Y. (1999). The Superpower Odyssey: A Russian Perspective on Sapce Cooperation. New York: AIAA Press. Khalilzad, Z. (2002). Strategic Appraisal: United States Air and Space Power. Santa Monica: Rand Press. Larson, E. (2001). Preparing the U.S. Army for Homeland Security. Santa Monica: Rand Press. Lepgold, H. (1990). The Declining Hegemon: The United States and European Defense. New York: Praeger Press. Levy, D. (1994). The Quest for Comets: An Explosive Trail of Beauty and Danger. New York: Plenum Press. Lewis, J. (1997). Rain of Iron and Ice: The Very Real Threat of Comet and Asteroid Bombardment. Reading: Perseus Press. Menshikov, V. (2011). Global Aerospace Monitoring and Disaster Management . New York: Springer Press. Morton, R. (1996). Music of the Earth: Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Other Geological Wonders. New York: Plenum Press. NASA (2011). Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft: An Analysis of NASAs Meteorode and Orital Debris Program. New York: National Academies Press. Posner, R. (2004). Catastrophe: Risk and Response. New York: Oxford University Press. Preston, B. (2002). Space Weapons: Earth Wars. Santa Monica: Rand Press. Stanley, G. (2009). Uncommon Sense. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Stiebing, W. (1984). Ancient Astronauts, Cosmic Collissions and other Popular Theories About Mans Past. Amherst: Prometheus Press. Svarney, P. (1996). Asteroid: Earth Destroyer or New Frontier? New York: Plenum Press. Tan, E. (1996). Restless Genius: Robert Hooke and His Earthly Thoughts. New York: Oxford University Press. Wisnewski, G. (2007). One Small Step? . New York: Clairview Press. Read More