Assignment: Asteroid Impact Exercise
You are a journalist for the New York Times, as well as an amateur astronomer. While searching the heavens with your 3-in telescope, you discovered a near-earth object (NEO), apparently heading towards Earth. You quickly reported your finding to the astronomers at the Mt. Wilson Observatory. They later confirmed that indeed a new meteoroid has been identified and headed towards Earth; with their telescope, they were able to provide the following information:
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Diameter of NEO
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50 meters
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Density of NEO
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3,000 kg/m3
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Impact angle
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30o
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Velocity at impact
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20 km/sec
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Target material
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Sedimentary
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Distance of people & structures
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50 km
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You took the data, then raced home. Then using the Asteroid Impact program that you found on the internet, you were able to write up a news bulletin about the incoming meteor and warn the populace about the damages/destruction that it may cause.
A. Part I - What should be included in your news bulletin:
1. Information about the incoming NEO itself, from the data table above.
2. The force of impact, crater dimensions, and the variety of damages that can result upon impact (information inside any of the 9 squares that you will see after you run the program).
B. Part II - The size, velocity and angle of decent of your asteroid is similar to the Tunguska Meteor that hit Siberia in 1908. In Part I of your assignment, I would like you to compare and contrast the observations and damages between your meteor and the Tunguska Meteor. You can find information on the Tunguska Meteor from the chapter on Asteroid and Comet Impact, or search the internet. But if the information is from the internet, you must document your sources.