Earth in danger Understanding the risks for human life Juraj Vančo 93. prístav vodných skautov a skautiek Tortuga Trenčín Sep 2013

Agenda Voting Comets and meteors Observation Expedition for Meteors Kykula 2013 Known meteors in the recent history Solar wind Impacts (physics)

Comets and meteors Comet: an object flying in the universe – Known track, ellipsoidal (Kepler’s law) – Solar system: Sun is the mass point – Usually cannot be observed by naked-eye – Known shuffles: Halley, Hale Bopp, Hyakutake Meteor: an object released from shuffle – Track roughly copies mother’s shuffle track – Predictable – Small size – Can be observed by naked-eye

Observation Expedition for Meteors Kykula 2013 Perseids Mother shuffle: Swift- Tuffle – Circuit period: 120 years – Last traversal: 25 years ago – Date: around 10 th of August (Vavrinec) Expedition Conditions: – Moon in last quarter – No clouds – After rain

Observation Expedition for Meteors Kykula 2013 Central point: Perseus – Where is Perseus? – What does it mean? Typical properties: fast, long Another method of observation: radio waves – How does it work?

Known meteors

“meteorit”: meteor fallen on the Earth’s surface Explosions: one or more – Explosion severity: atom bomb has less power Past 100 years meteors ( – Tunguska (Siberia) in 1914 – Čeljabinsk (Siberia) in 2013 – Košice (Slovakia) in 2011

Known meteors Observed: column of bluish light as bright as the Sun 10 – 15 Mtons of TNT ~ 1000 x Hiroshima bomb

Known meteors “meteorit”: meteor fallen on the Earth’s surface Explosions: one or more – Explosion severity: atom bomb has less power Past 100 years meteors ( – Tunguska (Siberia) in 1914 – Čeljabinsk (Siberia) in 2013 – Košice (Slovakia) in 2011

Known meteors 440 ktons of TNT ~ 20 – 30 x Hiroshima bomb

Known meteors “meteorit”: meteor fallen on the Earth’s surface Explosions: one or more – Explosion severity: atom bomb has less power Past 100 years meteors ( – Tunguska (Siberia) in 1914 – Čeljabinsk (Siberia) in 2013 – Košice (Slovakia) in 2011

Solar wind Ionised mass particles released from the Sun’s gravitation – Sun’s activity period The Sun: eruptions Effects for the Earth – The most vulnerable systems: satellites, electronics

Solar wind Ionised mass particles released from the Sun’s gravitation – Sun’s activity period The Sun: eruptions Effects for the Earth – The most vulnerable systems: satellites, electronics

Solar wind impacts Effects for the Earth – 1972: telecom AT&T, USA – 1989: electricity blackout, Canada – 2000: satellites destroyed (short circuit) – 2006: GPS blackout, satellites

NASA new mission: asteroids So, when? Voting? Thanks for watching Q & A