Astronomy: Deflecting an Asteroid

by Ryan Fagan

Submitted : Spring 2010

Currently many different computer programs are used in Astronomy. These programs are used to predict the path and movement of different planetary objects in the sky. Such simulation softwares use the law of physics and also the current known universal map to predict the changes in the planetary movement. One of the simulations scenarios is to find ways in which to save planet Earth from collision with an asteroid. One of the ideas is using a Kinetic impact in which the momentum and direction of the asteroid is altered by sending a spacecraft to collide with the asteroid.

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