A MOTE IN HUBBLE'S EYE
HUBBLE HERITAGE PROGRAM RELEASE March 4, 1999
On April 6, 1994 NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was performing a detailed study of the Sun's nearest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri, using the Fine Guidance Sensors to search for small deviations in the position of Proxima Centauri that could reveal the presence of an unseen planetary companion. Rather than sit idle while this study went on, the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) was activated using the observing strategy set out in a program initiated by Dr. Ed Groth (Princeton University) designed to make use of this otherwise wasted time. The image captured by this WFPC2 parallel observation is a typical Milky Way star field in the constellation Centaurus. Such images can be used to study the evolution of stars that make up our galaxy.
Credit: Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA)
Most of the stars in this image lie near the center of our galaxy some 25,000 light-years distant. But one object, the blue curved streak, is something much closer. An uncatalogued, mile-wide bit of rocky debris orbiting the Sun only light-minutes away strayed into WFPC2's field while the image was being exposed. This and about a hundred other interlopers have been found by Jet Propulsion Laboratory astronomers Dr. Robin Evans, Dr. Karl Stapelfeldt, and collaborators, who have systematically searched the HST archive for these nearby objects. Their analysis indicates this asteroid's orbit could cross Mars' path. Seen briefly by HST, these asteroids are too small and faint to track from the ground long enough for precise orbits to be determined. They are destined to return to their unseen wanderings for hundreds or thousands of years until once again, by chance, they may flicker across the view of some watchful eye peering off into the depths of space.
SOME PONDERING THOUGHTS
A lot of people have been asking and wondering if there may be a giant asteroid out there somewhere just waiting to hit the Earth. The questions have come from honest speculations and perhaps mixed with some paranoia. The recent alleged third prophecy from Our Lady of Fatima, that has always been a mystery, was revealed last year sometime. Supposedly She said that a BOLIDE would hit the Earth with such a magnitude that it could end life as we know it. The reason the Pope did not want to disclose this information was because of the devastating psychological effects it would have. If people knew that in June or July 30th. of 1999 that they were going to die, it would probably drive many of them insane. There would be no doubts that chaos would prevail as the time of approach drew nearer.
To amplify any fears or conspiracies, the Hubble Telescope was shut down and not bringing us any more new pictures for at least the next two years. NASA says it is need of maintenance. Some say it is on the hunt for just such a thing as a giant meteor or bolide, and that NASA is aware of this. When you add to the facts that the Vatican has moved the Native Americans from their land and homes on Graham Mountain to place their huge telescopes there, also made people wonder. Just what are they searching for? Their reason for doing that was simply explained, to search the heavens.
Not long ago there was the frightening scare that an asteroid was going to pass very close to our beautiful planet. Since that stirred a small panic NASA said that if such an asteroid were to be found that it would not be announced to the public for at least 72 hours. NASA said that the reason for this was because they want to make sure that the mathematical equations would be correct, and that such a blunder would not be repeated again. To add to all of this, NEAT was shut down as well, but it may resume on March 12, 1999. Here is their latest find.
NEFERTITI
Detected with NEAT on 2/18/99.ITI
These are very exciting times that we live in but we can get carried away. Without real evidence all of our questions that we want answers to don't really tell us much. Seeing all the new movies about such impacts and the destruction that it could cause is frightening to think about. I am not so sure I would like to be responsible for telling, or not telling the world that the Earth would be hit, and that millions would die. We saw what happened on Jupiter and if that was Earth none of us would be here now.
I think it would be a 50 50 split. Some would want to know so they could get their lives in order and be with their loved ones. I think many of us would do some real hard soul searching if we did know that our lives were about to end. Religion would become the new drug, and you know as well as I do that rioting would occur. It shouldn't take a bolide for us to realize that we need to love one another, visit with our families more, or to get our lives in order. We have the time right now, along with some peace of mind, so we should all try to be the best that we can. We have the potential of being wonderful loving people.
