(meteorobs) Fwd: [RASCals] Military Hush-Up: Incoming SpaceRocksNow Classified

[Chris Peterson]

> Confirmed deadly impacts, (planet killers), with no hope of solution 
> should
> NEVER be made public. There is no humanitarian reason to disclose it to 
> the
> public.

They will almost certainly be made public for the simple reason that they 
are most likely to be discovered by amateurs or non-governmental entities in 
the first place. Even if the military operated some exotic first detection 
system, almost anything big enough to do serious damage to the planet would 
be picked up by others before impact.

Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry" <ycsentinel at att.net>
To: "Global Meteor Observing Forum" <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 9:50 PM
Subject: Re: (meteorobs) Fwd: [RASCals] Military Hush-Up: Incoming 
SpaceRocksNow Classified


> No, it is not.
>
> We have two articles from sources that are likely popular in local
> out-houses which have taken concerns out of context and Chapman was made a
> patsy in this because of his language brevity.
>
> (Quote)
> "I think that this information is very important to make public," Chapman
> told SPACE.com.
> "More important than the scientific value, I think, is that these rare,
> bright fireballs provide a link in public understanding to the asteroid
> impact hazard posed by still larger and less frequent asteroids," Chapman
> explained.
>
> Those objects are witnessed by unsuspecting people in far-flung places,
> Chapman said, often generating incorrect and exaggerated
> reports....(Unquote)
>
> What Chapman should have added is......
>
> "The Military & Homeland Security is justified in preventing official
> releases of information, especially unconfirmed preliminary releases, of
> Space objects posing a SERIOUS future hazard to any country including our
> own. This should be done to prevent PREMATURE widespread panic". But no 
> one
> mentions this......doesn't sell tabloids!
>
> Now back to a more practicle approach and the reasons for it........
>
> Envision what would happen if everyone thought their final end would come 
> in
> 10 years, 1 year, 1 month, or 7 days..... You wouldn't even recognize the
> world you once knew.
>
> Proper control of this information is necessary to allow time to seek
> solutions before everyone goes ballistic with fear. And that fear might 
> just
> turn out to be groundless!
>
> Confirmed deadly impacts, (planet killers), with no hope of solution 
> should
> NEVER be made public. There is no humanitarian reason to disclose it to 
> the
> public.
>
> YCSentinel
> (Q-Clearance downgraded to Trivia level 3.)