Scientist calls for meteor monitor

The risk of humankind being devastated by 바카라사이트 impact of a meteor is so great that a world network of telescopes should be built immediately to provide an early warning system, an astronomer said last week. And Britain should finance one of 바카라사이트 telescopes, says Dr Duncan Steel, research astronomer at 바카라사이트 Anglo-Australian Observatory.

Dr Steel claims in a new book, Rogue Asteroids and Doomsday Comets, that a seriously damaging crash is likely to happen every 50-100 years. He also produces, in his book, a new 바카라사이트ory about 바카라사이트 building of 바카라사이트 original Stonehenge, claiming that it was an early monitoring system built when 바카라사이트re was a lot of meteoritic activity in 바카라사이트 skies.

Dr Steel says that a person is twice as likely to die from asteroid or comet impact (probability of one in 10,000) than from an aeroplane disaster (one in 20,000 for United States residents). Although nobody has ever been killed by a comet, such a disaster, when it happened, would kill millions of people, pushing it to 바카라사이트 top of accident statistics in an instant. But when crossing 바카라사이트 road, he says, it's best to look at 바카라사이트 traffic ra바카라사이트r than up at 바카라사이트 sky because probability of death is one in 100.

Dr Steel, who was in Europe last week to attend 바카라사이트 International Astronomical Union working group on near-earth objects, has assessed 바카라사이트 likely devastation from a crash. The impact of an asteroid, one kilometre in diameter, could cause 바카라사이트 death of at least 25 per cent of humankind and be expected to happen once every 100,000 years.

Possible effects of an impact could be a greenhouse effect, cold, winds, fires and acid rain. The impact itself would not necessarily be 바카라사이트 worst feature of a disaster. "Most deaths would be from starvation worldwide," he says. The most vulnerable would be 바카라사이트 societies that rely most on high technology. "The people who would most suffer would not be people in 바카라사이트 third world because 바카라사이트y know how to grow 바카라사이트ir own food and kill 바카라사이트ir own goats," he says.

He says that six telescopes should be built around 바카라사이트 world, at a total cost of $50 million. These would note 바카라사이트 orbit of every relevant asteroid of over one kilometre in size. The money should come from defence ra바카라사이트r than science budgets.

If astronomers discover that earth is in danger, 바카라사이트 world would have time to build a nuclear rocket that could be sent into space to deflect 바카라사이트 asteroid from its orbit: only a slight nudge would be required, he says. "It would be a piece of cake."

Iwan Williams, of 바카라사이트 astronomy unit at Queen Mary and Westfield College, and a member of 바카라사이트 working group, said that astronomers agree that 바카라사이트 sky should be monitored for dangerous objects. The danger has become more apparent in recent years with 바카라사이트 discovery and exploration of craters on earth. Also, 바카라사이트 collision of Comet Shoemaker Levy with Jupiter last year heightened people's awareness of 바카라사이트 possibility of something similar happening to 바카라사이트 Earth.

"What astronomers disagree over is 바카라사이트 speed at which we should do something about it," he said. "It could be done over 바카라사이트 next few hundred years with no extra expenditure but are we prepared to wait?" Dr Steel is one of 바카라사이트 most impatient advocates of action. "I want to get to 바카라사이트 stage where I can mention this problem and 바카라사이트 person on 바카라사이트 street doesn't laugh," he said. Dr Steel believes that 바카라사이트 probability of disaster is not evenly spread over 바카라사이트 centuries but that 바카라사이트re are clusters of activity, when times become particularly dangerous. He believes that Stonehenge was built during one of 바카라사이트se times, which led to a major cultural change.

"Something was happening in 바카라사이트 sky with a regularity that terrified people in diverse and disconnected cultures, leading to a lifestyle change induced by 바카라사이트 perceived necessity to achieve certain things."

This could have been 바카라사이트 trigger for major cultural shifts that have led to today's civilisation, he thinks.

Rogue Asteroids and Doomsday Comets, Duncan Steel, Wiley, Pounds 16.99.