[FPSPACE] New CCDs for NEO detection: Yes, but...

[E.P. Grondine]

Hi and Hello - 

I hope everyone is enjoying Volumes 1-4 of my History of Cosmonautics, and if you haven't received your free copies yet please send me a message.

The specs for the CCDs for Pan-Starrs have been released:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/panstarrs-1117.html

Of course, it is known from historical studies that the most frequently 
occurring impacts are those of dead comet chunks, like what hit at
Tunguska. This stuff, carbonaceous chondrite, looks like charcoal and is about 
as reflective of sunlight. What hit at Tunguska was only 75m or so, so you can start
(and you'll have too, because I can't anymore) to calculate the number of photons coming off 
of one of them and making it down to the surface of the Earth.  At a minimum you need at least 45 minutes warning to get people to shelter.

And that's why you use CAPS man tended Moon based detectors (radar and/or lidar) , which also would provide 6 months additional warning of any inbound comets, the objects responsible for Extinction Level Events.

I wish the next NASA Administrator the best of luck in implementing the George Brown Jr. Amendment.

E.P. Grondine
Man and Impact in the Americas



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