Monday, August 02, 2010

Some 11,500 objects larger than 4" are catalogued in low Earth orbit, shown here. Another 10,000 objects are smaller or in higher orbits.

One alarming mishap (among plenty) 500 miles above Siberia was caused by a Russian satellite, but it could have been from any other source. This particular one caused about 2,000 large pieces of the cloud of debris orbiting earth.


Art: Sean McNaughton, NGM Staff Source: NASA Orbital Debris Program Office; National Geographic July 2010


This would for a moment, at least, make us forget about occurrences in space, not only within our solar system, but beyond our Milky Way, and beyond of beyond, trillions of light-years away. What are the chances of collision, catastrophe, and devastation when some of these gravitate towards the earth and smash on its surface (a few such incidents did get wide publicity, but most are classified information and therefore unknown to most of mankind). In one word, simply staggering.

Most of these man-made objects are within the gravitational force of the earth, and therefore circumambulate it countless times in what we call our 24 hour day/night, roughly at a speed of 30,000 miles per hour. Their numbers are growing, both because of the new ones that are sent up, and also because of the ones that break up in space, within the circumference mostly of 9,000 miles. It would be interesting to know the odds which the actuarial science would come up with for the purpose of insuring anything or anybody.


(my photographic simulation)

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