Scientists have come up with an idea for an asteroid detection system that might help humans avoid a doomsday scenario brought on by the increasingly large number of falling asteroids and asteroid pieces. The threat of an asteroid or more destroying humankind is looming above our heads and specialists such as Lord Martin Rees, Richard Dawkins and Brian Cox warn that doomsday might be close than we had previously thought.
Scientists like the Astronomer Royal aka Lord Martin Rees are calling for the development of an effective asteroid detection system which would help them see what is coming and act accordingly. Rees and more than 100 other astronomers spoke at an event in London, emphasizing the need for an asteroid detection system. The astronomers also stressed the fact that the development of such a system should not rely on a single character, rather nations should join in the effort, otherwise doomsday would become inevitable soon. Rees also suggested that a World Asteroid Day should be adopted on June 30 next year.
June 30 might sound familiar to some of you: that marks the date when an asteroid impacted Tunguska, Siberia on that day more than a century ago in 1908. The 100x Declaration Rees presented at the London event culminated in the signatures of scientists and businessmen from more than 30 countries. Astronauts as well as high profile scientists like Richard Dawkins, Kip Thorne, Steward Brand, Ed Lu, Helen Sharman and Tom Jones were among those who signed the 100 x Declaration calling for an asteroid detection system.
The situation is not hopeless at the moment, since we do have a few asteroid detection systems already in place, but most of them are designed to detect larger rocks. While that is a good thing, scientists warn that smaller asteroids than those these systems can detect can also damage the surface of the Earth extensively. The goal of the 100x Declaration and call for an improved asteroid detection system is to advance research and use in the field of kinetic impactors and gravity tractors. These high-tech equipment can actually deter an asteroid off its course and save the planet from being damaged. But in order for them to be effective, the asteroid detection system should be able to warn scientists of asteroids heading the planet’s way much earlier than they do now.