Saturday, October 27, 2012

Across The Universe : Deflecting Incoming Asteroids with Paintballs

Deflecting Incoming Asteroids with Paintballs:
across the universe
An artist’s rendering of the asteroid Apophis. Credit: ESA
What would be a way to deflect asteroid Apophis if it gets a little too close for comfort in 2029 or 2036? Pew-pew it with 5 tons of white paintballs. Not only would the multiple mini impacts bump the asteroid off course, but the white paint would cover the surface and reflect more sunlight, and over time, the bouncing of photons off its surface could create enough of a force to push the asteroid off its course.


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