For the first time, scientists could have the knowledge to prevent a
natural disaster epic in scale--an asteroid hitting the earth and in
this exciting, adventuresome book, Carrie Nugent explains how.
What are asteroids, and where do they come from? And, most urgently: Are
they going to hit the Earth? What would happen if one was on its way?
Carrie Nugent is an asteroid hunter--part of a group of scientists
working to map our cosmic neighborhood. For the first time ever, we are
reaching the point where we may be able to prevent the horrible natural
disaster that would result from an asteroid collision.
In Asteroid Hunters, Nugent reveals what known impact asteroids have
had: the extinction of the dinosaurs, the earth-sized hole Shoemaker
Levy 9 left in Jupiter just a few decades ago, how the meteorite that
bursted over Chelyabinsk in Russia could have started a war, and unlucky
Ms. Anne Hodges--the only person (that we know of) in US history to be
the victim of a direct hit. Nugent also introduces the telescope she
uses to detect near-Earth asteroids. Ultimately, detection is the key to
preventing asteroid impact, and these specialized scientists are working
to prevent the unthinkable from happening.
If successful, asteroid hunting will lead to the first natural disaster
humans have the know-how and the technology to prevent. The successful
hunt and mapping of asteroids could mean nothing less than saving life
on earth.
