The Hazard to Civilization from Fireballs and Comets
Abstract
Asteroids which pass close to the Earth have been fully recognized by mankind for only about 20 years. The present report, then, is concerned with those other celestial bodies recorded by mankind since the dawn of civilization which either miss or impinge upon the Earth and which have also been despised. Now known respectively as comets (>1 kilometer in size) and meteoroids (<10 meters in size), it is the fireballs or "signs" produced by these meteoroids when they encounter the atmosphere which have generally been the greatest source of concern.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 04, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA359871
Entities
People
- P. A. Charles
Organizations
- University of Oxford