The Realization of Star Trek Technologies by Mark E. Lasbury

Author:Mark E. Lasbury
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

Amors—asteroids with orbits that are completely outside that of Earth’s, but can approach our planet at some point of their path.

Near Earth Comets (NEC) usually have velocities two to four times that of asteroids. They have a tendency to orbit out of the plane of Earth, which means they will be less likely to be spotted on routine scans and have a higher angle of inclination when the crash into us, thereby transferring more energy to the planet. Their periods are usually longer, so if detected early they could be deflected away over a longer time. Currently, there are 171 known NECs being tracked by NASA.

Potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) are any NEO with a predicted orbit that passes within 0.05 AU of Earth. As of 2014, 1642 PHAs have need identified, with 150 or more considered planet killers.

In the time period between December 14, 2015 and January 14, 2016, NASA estimated that 80 NEOs passed within 0.19 AU of Earth. The closest object was a 10–20 m diameter meteoroid and passed within the orbit of the Moon. For comparison, an iron containing meteorite just 30–50 m in diameter caused the 1.86 km diameter crater at Winslow, AZ. Whether a meteor burns up completely in the atmosphere or reaches the planet’s surface depends on its composition, size, speed, and the angle at which it strikes the atmosphere.

(Sources: International Astronomical Union and NASA)

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