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(meteorobs) Itty-bitty impactors
Richard Wagner wrote:
>>>...In the meantime, for those out there who have read any of the recent
slew
of asteroid books (at times I think the world needs another asteroid book
like it needs another asteroid movie or Chicxulub), I'd be curious on any
feedback you might have re what was missing in those books, if anything?
What should a new book focus on?...<<<
Hello Richard,
Impacts are important events and worthy of the great attention they are
receiving. I thought the recent scientifically oriented television shows on
threats from impacts were very well done.
One thing that I haven't seen addressed is the state of research on
submicron sized space "dust" particles and the potential hazards of
biologically consequential space dust clouds interacting with the earth's
biosphere. It's not that the space dust has to be "living" mind you, just
life effecting. There might be all manner and species of dust regions or
coherent particle clouds.
Presently it is difficult to rise above science fiction speculation of the
subject yet I believe that there needs to be an objective consideration of
the possibilities and whatever scant data on the subject exists.
It has only been one century since viruses were first discovered and the
invisible world is full of as yet to be discovered subvisible phenomena.
Especially *spaceworlds* which hold infinite surprises.
While humans focus on dramatic and explosive mega-events, humankind gets
perpetually shaped and contoured by subtle toxic particles, microbes and
disease agents.
As far as I can tell, space and near space are not being explored
exhaustively microscopically. In a recent query to the NASA space dust lab
regarding lower size limits of particles they study I was told they have no
data on virus sized particles. Virus sized particles are too small and get
lost in air flow patterns around the high altitude collecting planes.
This is a subject I would like to see explored by a critically minded
science writer. Fred Hoyle has stimulated the topic but what is the next
level of engagement with microscopic space?
Best regards,
Thomas Ashcraft
Radio Fireball Observatory
Santa Fe, New Mexico
72632.1427@compuserve.com