Giant Comets, Evolution and Civilization

Abstract

Climatic cycles, ice epochs, mass extinctions and other global disturbances may be attributed to episodes of bombardment by giant comets. Such bodies now in chaotic orbits beyond Jupiter present the most serious current celestial hazard. A point at issue is the greater complexity of the cometary as opposed to the asteroidal hazard, as well as its more pervasive effects.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1998
Accession Number
ADA359881

Entities

People

  • F. Hoyle
  • N. C. Wickramasinghe
  • S. V. Clube
  • W. M. Napier

Organizations

  • University of Oxford

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aphelions
  • Climate Change
  • Elliptical Orbits
  • Environment
  • Glaciers
  • Greenhouse Effect
  • Heat Energy
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Materials
  • Observatories
  • Orbits
  • Particles
  • Perihelions
  • Personal Information Managers
  • Solar Energy
  • Solar System
  • Universities

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris