Phil Plait: How to Defend Earth from Asteroids
- What happened on the "dinosaurs' bad day"? What was the effect of this?
- Does an asteroid need to hit Earth to do damage? Why or why not? 3. Many science fiction movies and TV shows have depicted using a nuclear weapon to
destroy asteroids. What problem does Plait see with this plan? - What is one way that we could defend Earth from asteroids? What are the drawbacks of the method?
- Is Earth prepared to ward off a potential asteroid hit? Why or why not?
Carrie Nugent: Adventures of an Asteroid Hunter - How does the speaker know that the lump of metal she is holding is an asteroid?
- How does the speaker "hunt" asteroids? Describe how teams of scientists collect data
about asteroids. - Both speakers describe the asteroid that hit Earth and caused a massive extinction, including the decimation of the dinosaurs. The speakers describe the size of this asteroid in different terms. Summarize each speaker's description and explain which one gives you a better picture of the size of this asteroid.
- Does Carrie Nugent agree with Phil Plait's assessment that we can defend the Earth from asteroids? Why or why not?
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