2006-09-22 14:07:01 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I asked the question specifically because something that's headed straight toward us wouldn't "move" against a background of stars so wouldn't be noticed that way...
2006-09-22 16:08:15 · update #1
We would know. Astronomers have special detectors that can do so. If an asteroid was headed for Earth, they would (1) try to evacuate the area, or (2) try to move it away using magnetic beams or spacecraft. We would have about 3 years until it crashed, however.
2006-09-22 16:27:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For a start you need some education in space matters. Nothing can head straight for Earth. Everything in the Solar System is either in orbit around the sun, or in orbit around a planet or other larger body (which in turn is in orbit around the sun).
So, all the asteroids and comets that may or may not impact Earth are in orbit around the sun, just like us. It is the ones whose orbit may intersect ours at some point that we have to worry about.
NASA with the help of several obeservatories has a plan to plot the orbits of all the asteroids likely to interact with Earth in the future. They won't find them all, but they will find enough to cut down the chances of a surprise one. If they do find one that is on an orbit that will bring it across our orbit, they will know about it years or decades in advance.
Please ignore the silly previous answer where the person mentioned the re-classifying of Pluto. That is so ignorant. Scientists reclassify things all the time as they learn more about them. In the field of biology, especially botany, it will be a daily occurrence that a scientist somewhere in the world will re-classify some insect or plant under another family, because they have discovered that it fits better in that family.
That is all that has been done with Pluto. It has been classified under a different family of objects. It was not considered under that class before, because the objects that make up its new family had not been discovered. It is no mistake, as the person above ignorantly thinks.
2006-09-22 14:53:22 · answer #2 · answered by nick s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are all missing the point. What he is asking is if we would be able to appreciate the movement with a trajectory straight toward us! Since most trajectories are elliptical the objects are detected. For a straight in vector it should be traveling straight to the sun with the Earth in its way. However there is a problem with this. The earth moves around the Sun, thus once again we would be able to appreciate a movement among the stars in the background.
2006-09-22 16:44:51 · answer #3 · answered by Manny L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends how far away it is...If it is close enough for us to see by a telescope then i am sure we would know about it.
I read in the paper about an asteroid that had a near miss to earth 2 years ago i think. It said we only just missed it by a million kilometers or something like that. Which isnt very much in space. But to us?
Most large rouge asteroids get pulled into Jupiter before they get to us anyway, thats why we have been able to evolve in peace.
2006-09-22 14:14:39 · answer #4 · answered by Boggle Master 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At the time, and still today, Pluto is a planet. It orbits the sun just like planets. It is a planet.
Ok, no, to answer the question: possibly. If a telescope was pointed at randomly, yes. If it crossed other paths we were aware of, yes. But, there is a better chance that we wouldn't know. An astroid actually skimmed through Earth's atmosphere about 2 years ago. It just skipped through the atmosphere and never acutally hit Earth, but it was never detected.
2006-09-22 14:49:15 · answer #5 · answered by gismo_28 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many asteroids have been detected and their trajectory studied. It is possible that there are still large asteroids that have not yet been detected and are on a collision course with Earth. Look up Spacewatch program.
2006-09-22 14:13:45 · answer #6 · answered by JBarleycorn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. Most of the near Earth asteroids come in our direction from the sun, so we only see them as they go by.
2006-09-22 14:53:02 · answer #7 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but we wouldn't be able to do anything about it. It would probably all be over in less than a second.
2006-09-22 15:48:00 · answer #8 · answered by short stack 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh sure. I mean, we can only put all of our faith the scientists of the world. You know, the ones that told us for eons that Pluto was a planet?
2006-09-22 14:15:20 · answer #9 · answered by kildor01 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
most likley not
if yes
probably to late to take any action
2006-09-22 14:58:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋