Astronomy

Firstly, there are several lessons to be learned from astronomy and space science for our life on Earth. In science, learning from extreme cases usually gives one insights into the ordinary situation; in medicine, we often learn about diseases and treatments from studying other species. So, in the case of Earth's climate and history, we can learn from other planets.

The danger of all-out nuclear war, mercifully now receding after the end of the Cold War, was unique in that, alone of all the perils we face, it endangered not just civilization, but even our biological existence. Other threats, like Ebola virus plagues, global warming, or even a new Ice-Age, may destroy civilization, perhaps irreversibly, but would not wipe out the whole race. The reason given in the mid 1980's was the phenomenon of nuclear winter. In this picture, the exchange of more than a certain number of bombs (thought to be 100-200 by many authorities), would cause so much dust and smoke to enter the

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Remembering that Near Earth asteroids are small, we could use them for mining purposes, place newly developed electromagnetic propulsion systems on them, and build an extraterrestrial civilization from their raw materials. The second, and much more remote, is the possibility of multiple volcanic eruptions. More recently, with the avalanche of small objects, initial naming uses the year, followed by a letter code, like 1993FW.

The US House of Representatives set up a committee in 1992 to look at ways of detecting more of these earth crossing asteroids, in a programme called Space Watch; over the next 20 years, some 75% of the one kilometre sized objects are expected to be found. In terms of rocketry, they are easier to reach than the Moon. Some have thought that this extinguished the dinosaurs, but Dr David Brez Carlisle of Ontario has shown that volcanic dust deposition at that time was extensive - nearly as extensive as during our own million year history! We face many problems, but global volcanic cooling is not one of them. There are many reasons for astronomy and astronautics - adventure, science, biomedicine, new materials, tourism and new sources of energy - to name a few. In 1979, Dr Luis Alvarez found that, all over the world, at levels dating 65 million years ago, there was a thin layer of clay heavily enriched with Iridium, at a level which spoke clearly of a gigantic asteroid collision with the Earth, wiping out the great dinosaurs. It is apparent that most creatures larger than an insect would perish, and that humanity would die of cold, hunger, disease, insanity and mass suicide. It seems that humanity will migrate out into space, just as the amphibians crawled onto a hostile and virgin land, out of necessity. Allowing twice that number under the sea , and a loss of many more by erosion, we can see that Earth is an island in a stormy sea, lashed with rain made of rocks.

The first, and most relevant, was the threat of global nuclear war.

Common topics in this essay:
Near Earth, Cold War, Ra-Shalom Vesta, Homo Sapiens, , Moon Studies, Alvarez Earth's, Carlisle Ontario, Luis Alvarez, Mars Jupiter's, space science, near earth, nuclear winter, astronomy space, astronomy space science, near earth asteroids, cold war, 65 ago, earth asteroids, earth crossing, nuclear war, space probe,

Approximate Word count = 2030
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

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