Wrapping asteroid could save the world

Wrapping asteroid could save the world

news.ninemsn.com.au

An Australian researcher has won an international prize for her plan to wrap a giant asteroid with reflective sheeting to stop it colliding with the earth and destroying all life.

Such an impact would have the force of 110,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs if the asteroid, which actually exists, hits the planet in 2036, said Mary D'Souza, a PhD student with the University of Queensland's School of Engineering.

Far from being daunted by the prospect of global annihilation, Ms D'Souza went to work on a possible solution and took out the top prize in an international competition to find new ways of stopping asteroids from hitting Earth.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Are they being serious? How much of this stuff would they need in order for this to even work?



news.ninemsn.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

i bet this is an advertisement by GLAD

www.glad.com...

[edit on 23-8-2008 by CzErased]

From the source the explanation for how it would is:

The solar reflecting material is already used on satellites.

Satellites also could do the wrapping.

"I'm using a satellite that's orbiting the asteroid and the rotation of the asteroid itself to wrap this ribbon," Ms D'Souza said.

"So it's kind of like it wraps as it rotates."

The Mylar film covering just 50 per cent of the asteroid would change its surface from dull to reflective, a necessary step to harness the power of the sun.

"What happens then is light from the sun shines on the body (of the asteroid) so more of it is reflected ... and it actually acts to move it away from the sun and the earth."

LMAO.. If your close enough with a sat or anything else to "Wrap" a asteroid your close enough to detonate a nuke.

A nice bump from a Nuclear detonation will do the job.. Considering you know about the meteor or comet in time......

If you don't have the time to pop a nuke or two to nudge the object off a collision coarse then you sure as hell don't have the time to wrap the damn thing is something.

It all depends on the Targets speed and size.

People are flat out ignorant about the real danger asteroids represent to the planet. We seriusly need to get the ability to get off this mud ball asap.

Please See The Existing Thread

Different website but same article:

Asteroid wrap could save the world