The Comets of 1991
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Using a Nuclear Explosive Device for Planetary Defense Against an Incoming Asteroid
Georgetown University Law Center Scholarship @ GEORGETOWN LAW 2019 Exoatmospheric Plowshares: Using a Nuclear Explosive Device for Planetary Defense Against an Incoming Asteroid David A. Koplow Georgetown University Law Center, [email protected] This paper can be downloaded free of charge from: https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub/2197 https://ssrn.com/abstract=3229382 UCLA Journal of International Law & Foreign Affairs, Spring 2019, Issue 1, 76. This open-access article is brought to you by the Georgetown Law Library. Posted with permission of the author. Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub Part of the Air and Space Law Commons, International Law Commons, Law and Philosophy Commons, and the National Security Law Commons EXOATMOSPHERIC PLOWSHARES: USING A NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVE DEVICE FOR PLANETARY DEFENSE AGAINST AN INCOMING ASTEROID DavidA. Koplow* "They shall bear their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks" Isaiah 2:4 ABSTRACT What should be done if we suddenly discover a large asteroid on a collision course with Earth? The consequences of an impact could be enormous-scientists believe thatsuch a strike 60 million years ago led to the extinction of the dinosaurs, and something ofsimilar magnitude could happen again. Although no such extraterrestrialthreat now looms on the horizon, astronomers concede that they cannot detect all the potentially hazardous * Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center. The author gratefully acknowledges the valuable comments from the following experts, colleagues and friends who reviewed prior drafts of this manuscript: Hope M. Babcock, Michael R. Cannon, Pierce Corden, Thomas Graham, Jr., Henry R. Hertzfeld, Edward M. -
The Comet's Tale, and Therefore the Object As a Whole Would the Section Director Nick James Highlighted Have a Low Surface Brightness
1 Diebold Schilling, Disaster in connection with two comets sighted in 1456, Lucerne Chronicle, 1513 (Wikimedia Commons) THE COMET’S TALE Comet Section – British Astronomical Association Journal – Number 38 2019 June britastro.org/comet Evolution of the comet C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS) along a total of ten days on January 2018. Composition of pictures taken with a zoom lens from Teide Observatory in Canary Islands. J.J Chambó Bris 2 Table of Contents Contents Author Page 1 Director’s Welcome Nick James 3 Section Director 2 Melvyn Taylor’s Alex Pratt 6 Observations of Comet C/1995 01 (Hale-Bopp) 3 The Enigma of Neil Norman 9 Comet Encke 4 Setting up the David Swan 14 C*Hyperstar for Imaging Comets 5 Comet Software Owen Brazell 19 6 Pro-Am José Joaquín Chambó Bris 25 Astrophotography of Comets 7 Elizabeth Roemer: A Denis Buczynski 28 Consummate Comet Section Secretary Observer 8 Historical Cometary Amar A Sharma 37 Observations in India: Part 2 – Mughal Empire 16th and 17th Century 9 Dr Reginald Denis Buczynski 42 Waterfield and His Section Secretary Medals 10 Contacts 45 Picture Gallery Please note that copyright 46 of all images belongs with the Observer 3 1 From the Director – Nick James I hope you enjoy reading this issue of the We have had a couple of relatively bright Comet’s Tale. Many thanks to Janice but diffuse comets through the winter and McClean for editing this issue and to Denis there are plenty of images of Buczynski for soliciting contributions. 46P/Wirtanen and C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto) Thanks also to the section committee for in our archive. -
The State of Anthro–Earth
The Rosette Gazette Volume 22,, IssueIssue 7 Newsletter of the Rose City Astronomers July, 2010 RCA JULY 19 GENERAL MEETING The State Of Anthro–Earth THE STATE OF ANTHRO-EARTH: A Visitor From Far, Far Away Reviews the Status of Our Planet In This Issue: A Talk (in Earth-English) By Richard Brenne 1….General Meeting Enrico Fermi famously wondered why we hadn't heard from any other planetary 2….Club Officers civilizations, and Richard Brenne, who we'd always suspected was probably from another planet, thinks he might know the answer. Carl Sagan thought it was likely …...Magazines because those on other planets blew themselves up with nuclear weapons, but Richard …...RCA Library thinks its more likely that burning fossil fuels changed the climates and collapsed the 3….Local Happenings civilizations of those we might otherwise have heard from. Only someone from another planet could discuss this most serious topic with Richard's trademark humor 4…. Telescope (in a previous life he was an award-winning screenwriter - on which planet we're not Transformation sure) and bemused detachment. 5….Special Interest Groups Richard Brenne teaches a NASA-sponsored Global Climate Change class, serves on 6….Star Party Scene the American Meteorological Society's Committee to Communicate Climate Change, has written and produced documentaries about climate change since 1992, and has 7.…Observers Corner produced and moderated 50 hours of panel discussions about climate change with 18...RCA Board Minutes many of the world's top climate change scientists. Richard writes for the blog "Climate Progress" and his forthcoming book is titled "Anthro-Earth", his new name 20...Calendars for his adopted planet. -
The Comet's Tale
THE COMET’S TALE Journal of the Comet Section of the British Astronomical Association Number 33, 2014 January Not the Comet of the Century 2013 R1 (Lovejoy) imaged by Damian Peach on 2013 December 24 using 106mm F5. STL-11k. LRGB. L: 7x2mins. RGB: 1x2mins. Today’s images of bright binocular comets rival drawings of Great Comets of the nineteenth century. Rather predictably the expected comet of the century Contents failed to materialise, however several of the other comets mentioned in the last issue, together with the Comet Section contacts 2 additional surprise shown above, put on good From the Director 2 appearances. 2011 L4 (PanSTARRS), 2012 F6 From the Secretary 3 (Lemmon), 2012 S1 (ISON) and 2013 R1 (Lovejoy) all Tales from the past 5 th became brighter than 6 magnitude and 2P/Encke, 2012 RAS meeting report 6 K5 (LINEAR), 2012 L2 (LINEAR), 2012 T5 (Bressi), Comet Section meeting report 9 2012 V2 (LINEAR), 2012 X1 (LINEAR), and 2013 V3 SPA meeting - Rob McNaught 13 (Nevski) were all binocular objects. Whether 2014 will Professional tales 14 bring such riches remains to be seen, but three comets The Legacy of Comet Hunters 16 are predicted to come within binocular range and we Project Alcock update 21 can hope for some new discoveries. We should get Review of observations 23 some spectacular close-up images of 67P/Churyumov- Prospects for 2014 44 Gerasimenko from the Rosetta spacecraft. BAA COMET SECTION NEWSLETTER 2 THE COMET’S TALE Comet Section contacts Director: Jonathan Shanklin, 11 City Road, CAMBRIDGE. CB1 1DP England. Phone: (+44) (0)1223 571250 (H) or (+44) (0)1223 221482 (W) Fax: (+44) (0)1223 221279 (W) E-Mail: [email protected] or [email protected] WWW page : http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/ Assistant Director (Observations): Guy Hurst, 16 Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, BASINGSTOKE, Hampshire. -
Planetary Defense: Near-Earth Objects, Nuclear Weapons, and International Law James A
Hastings International and Comparative Law Review Volume 42 Article 2 Number 1 Winter 2019 Winter 2019 Planetary Defense: Near-Earth Objects, Nuclear Weapons, and International Law James A. Green Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/ hastings_international_comparative_law_review Part of the Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, and the International Law Commons Recommended Citation James A. Green, Planetary Defense: Near-Earth Objects, Nuclear Weapons, and International Law, 42 Hastings Int'l & Comp.L. Rev. 1 (2019). Available at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/hastings_international_comparative_law_review/vol42/iss1/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Hastings International and Comparative Law Review by an authorized editor of UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. Planetary Defense: Near-Earth Objects, Nuclear Weapons, and International Law BY JAMES A. GREEN ABSTRACT The risk of a large Near-Earth Object (NEO), such as an asteroid, colliding with the Earth is low, but the consequences of that risk manifesting could be catastrophic. Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented increase in global political will in relation to NEO preparedness, following the meteoroid impact in Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013. There also has been an increased focus amongst states on the possibility of using nuclear detonation to divert or destroy a collision- course NEO—something that a majority of scientific opinion now appears to view as representing humanity’s best, or perhaps only, option in extreme cases. Concurrently, recent developments in nuclear disarmament and the de-militarization of space directly contradict the proposed “nuclear option” for planetary defense. -
The Planetary Report) Watching As a Bust
The Board of Dlrec:tolll The naming of comets can, indeed, be a very difficult matter. Traditionally these small, CARL SAGAN BRUCE MURRAY President Vice President icy solar system bodies were named for their discoverers. But because some people are Director" Laboratory Professor of Planetary very persistent (for example, there are four Comets Meier) a particular name is needed for Planetary Studies. Science, California Camell University Institute of Technology for each individu.al comet. Thus, at discovery a comet is assigned a letter designation LOUIS FRIEDMAN HENRY TANNER based on the order of discovery or recovery in a certain year. So, Comet 1982i was the Executive Director Corporate Secretary and 9th comet found in 1982. Later, comets are assigned new names based on their peri Assistant Treasurer, Cafifom;a THOMAS O. PAINE Institute of Technology helion (closest approach to the Sun). 1984 XXll1 was the 23rd comet to pass perihelion Former Administrator. NASA: Chairman, National JOSEPH RYAN in 1984. Confused? Here is a poetic attempt to explain. Commission on Space O'Melveny & Myers Board of Advlsolll DIANE ACKERMAN GARRY E. HUNT poet and author Space -Scientist, THE NAMING OF COMETS (With apologies to T. S. Eliot) United Kingdom ISAAC ASIMOV aulhor HANS MARK BY DAVID H. LEW Chancellor, RICHARD BERENDZEN University of Texas System Presid8nt, American University JAMES MICHENER The naming of Comets is a difficult matter, JACQUES BLAMONT author Chief Scien#st, Centre National It isn't just one of your holiday games; d'Etudes Spatlales, France PHILIP MORRISON Institute Professor, You may think at first I'm mad as a hatter RAY BRADBURY Massachusetts poet and author Institute of Technofogy When I tell you, a comet has THREE DIFFERENT NAMES. -
Ionic Emissions in Comet C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS)
MNRAS 000,1–12 (2019) Preprint 23 April 2020 Compiled using MNRAS LATEX style file v3.0 Ionic emissions in comet C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS) Kumar Venkataramani1;2? Shashikiran Ganesh1 and Kiran S.Baliyan1 1 Astronomy & Astrophysics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India. 2 Department of Physics, Leach Science Center, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. 23 April 2020 ABSTRACT We carried out observations of a peculiar comet, C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS), using a low resolution spectrograph mounted on the 1.2m telescope at Mount Abu Infrared Observatory, India. The comet was observed on two dates in January 2018, when it was at a heliocentric distance of 2.8 AU. Study based on our observations revealed that the optical spectrum of this comet is quite unusual as compared to general cometary spectra. Most of the major cometary emissions like C2,C3 and CN were absent in comet C/2016 R2. However, the comet spectrum + + showed very strong emission bands from ionic species like CO and N2 . A mean N2/CO ratio of 0.09 ± 0.02 was derived from the spectra and an extremely low depletion factor of 1.6 ± 0.4 has been estimated for this ratio as compared to the solar nebula. We have also detected minor + + emission features beyond 5400 Å, albeit marginally. The column densities of CO and N2 were calculated from their emission bands. The optical spectrum suggests that the cometary ice is dominated by CO. The low depletion factor of N2/CO ratio in this comet, as compared to the solar nebula and the unusual spectrum of the comet are consequences of distinctive processing at the location of its formation in the early solar nebula. -
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Planetary Astronomy Program
FRS 347320 FINAL REPORT FOR GRANT NAG5-3938 SUBMITTED TO: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Planetary Astronomy Program TITLE: Beginning Research with the 1.8-meter Spacewatch Telescope ORGANIZATION: The University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory PERIOD OF GRANT: 1996 Dec. 1 - 2000 Nov. 30 PERIOD REPORTED ON: 1996 Dec. I - 2001 Feb. 9 2._o[ PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Tom Gehrels Date Professor Lunar and Planetary Laboratory University of Arizona Kuiper Space Sciences Building 1629 East University Boulevard Tucson, AZ 85721-0092 Phone: 520/621-6970 FAX: 520/621-1940 Email: [email protected] BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVE: Ms. Lynn A. Lane Senior Business Manager Lunar and Planetary Laboratory University of Arizona Kuiper Space Sciences Building 1629 East University Boulevard Tucson, AZ 85721-0092 Phone: 520/621-6966 FAX: 520/621-4933 Email: [email protected] c:_w_nnsaknag53938.fnl Participating Professionals (all at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory): Terrence H. Bressi (B. S., Astron. & Physics) Engineer Anne S. Descour (M. S., Computer Science) Senior Systems Programmer Tom Gehrels (Ph. D., Astronomy) Professor, observer, and PI Robert Jedicke (Ph.D., Physics) Principal Research Specialist Jeffrey A. Larsen (Ph. D., Astronomy) Principal Research Specialist and observer Robert S. McMiUan (Ph.D., Astronomy) Associate Research Scientist & observer Joseph L. Montani (M. S., Astronomy) Senior Research Specialist and observer Marcus L. Perry (B. A., Astronomy) (Chief) Staff Engineer James V. Scotti (B. S., Astronomy) Senior Research Specialist and observer PROJECT SUMMARY The purpose of this grant was to bring the Spacewatch 1.8-m telescope to operational status for research on asteroids and comets. -
Asteroids and Comets: U.S
Columbia Law School Scholarship Archive Faculty Scholarship Faculty Publications 1997 Asteroids and Comets: U.S. and International Law and the Lowest-Probability, Highest Consequence Risk Michael B. Gerrard Columbia Law School, [email protected] Anna W. Barber Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/faculty_scholarship Part of the Environmental Law Commons, and the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Michael B. Gerrard & Anna W. Barber, Asteroids and Comets: U.S. and International Law and the Lowest- Probability, Highest Consequence Risk, 6 N.Y.U. ENVTL. L. J. 4 (1997). Available at: https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/faculty_scholarship/697 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Publications at Scholarship Archive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Scholarship by an authorized administrator of Scholarship Archive. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COLLOQUIUM ARTICLES ASTEROIDS AND COMETS: U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THE LOWEST-PROBABILITY, HIGHEST ICONSEQUENCE RISK MICHAEL B. GERRARD AND ANNA W. BARBER* INTRODUCrION Asteroids' and comets2 pose unique policy problems. They are the ultimate example of a low probability, high consequence event: no one in recorded human history is confirmed to have ever died from an asteroid or a comet, but the odds are that at some time in the next several centuries (and conceivably next year) an asteroid or a comet will cause mass localized destruction and that at some time in the coming half million years (and con- ceivably next year), an asteroid or a comet will kill several billion people. -
UNIVERSITY of HAWAII at MANOA Institute for Astrononmy Pan-STARRS Project Management System
Pan-STARRS Document Control PSDC-xxx-xxx-00 UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA Institute for Astrononmy Pan-STARRS Project Management System Appearance of and response to interesting and rare objects discovered by MOPS Richard J. Wainscoat Pan-STARRS Solar System Group Institute for Astronomy October 28, 2006 c Institute for Astronomy 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution Pan-STARRS Moving Object Processing System PSDC-xxx-xxx-00 Revision History Revision Number Release Date Description 00 2006.10.20 First draft Interesting and rare objects—definition and followup ii October 28, 2006 Pan-STARRS Moving Object Processing System PSDC-xxx-xxx-00 TBD / TBR Listing Section No. Page No. TBD/R No. Description Interesting and rare objects—definition and followup iii October 28, 2006 Contents 1 Overview 1 2 Referenced Documents 1 3 Facilities available for followup observations 1 4 Fuzzy objects—comets or outgassing asteroids 2 4.1 Introduction .................................................. 2 4.2 Signature ................................................... 2 4.3 Response ................................................... 2 4.4 Followup ................................................... 2 4.5 Naming of Comets discovered by Pan-STARRS ............................... 3 5 Objects with high inclination, retrograde, or highly eccentric orbits 3 5.1 Introduction .................................................. 3 5.2 Signature ................................................... 3 5.3 Response .................................................. -
Colours of Minor Bodies in the Outer Solar System II - a Statistical Analysis, Revisited
Astronomy & Astrophysics manuscript no. MBOSS2 c ESO 2012 April 26, 2012 Colours of Minor Bodies in the Outer Solar System II - A Statistical Analysis, Revisited O. R. Hainaut1, H. Boehnhardt2, and S. Protopapa3 1 European Southern Observatory (ESO), Karl Schwarzschild Straße, 85 748 Garching bei M¨unchen, Germany e-mail: [email protected] 2 Max-Planck-Institut f¨ur Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck Straße 2, 37 191 Katlenburg- Lindau, Germany 3 Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20 742-2421, USA Received —; accepted — ABSTRACT We present an update of the visible and near-infrared colour database of Minor Bodies in the outer Solar System (MBOSSes), now including over 2000 measurement epochs of 555 objects, extracted from 100 articles. The list is fairly complete as of December 2011. The database is now large enough that dataset with a high dispersion can be safely identified and rejected from the analysis. The method used is safe for individual outliers. Most of the rejected papers were from the early days of MBOSS photometry. The individual measurements were combined so not to include possible rotational artefacts. The spectral gradient over the visible range is derived from the colours, as well as the R absolute magnitude M(1, 1). The average colours, absolute magnitude, spectral gradient are listed for each object, as well as their physico-dynamical classes using a classification adapted from Gladman et al., 2008. Colour-colour diagrams, histograms and various other plots are presented to illustrate and in- vestigate class characteristics and trends with other parameters, whose significance are evaluated using standard statistical tests. -
Near-Earth Objects, Nuclear Weapons, and International Law
Planetary defense: Near-Earth Objects, nuclear weapons, and international law Article Published Version Open access Green, J. A. (2019) Planetary defense: Near-Earth Objects, nuclear weapons, and international law. Hastings International and Comparative Law Review, 42 (1). pp. 1-72. ISSN 0149- 9246 Available at http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/79265/ It is advisable to refer to the publisher’s version if you intend to cite from the work. See Guidance on citing . Published version at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/hastings_international_comparative_law_review/vol42/iss1/2 Publisher: UC Hastings College of the Law All outputs in CentAUR are protected by Intellectual Property Rights law, including copyright law. Copyright and IPR is retained by the creators or other copyright holders. Terms and conditions for use of this material are defined in the End User Agreement . www.reading.ac.uk/centaur CentAUR Central Archive at the University of Reading Reading’s research outputs online Hastings International and Comparative Law Review Volume 42 Article 2 Number 1 Winter 2019 Winter 2019 Planetary Defense: Near-Earth Objects, Nuclear Weapons, and International Law James A. Green Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/ hastings_international_comparative_law_review Part of the Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, and the International Law Commons Recommended Citation James A. Green, Planetary Defense: Near-Earth Objects, Nuclear Weapons, and International Law, 42 Hastings Int'l & Comp.L. Rev. 1 (2019). Available at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/hastings_international_comparative_law_review/vol42/iss1/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Hastings International and Comparative Law Review by an authorized editor of UC Hastings Scholarship Repository.