Will catastrophic cosmic events cause the end of the world?There are numerous cosmic events that have the potential to annihilate mankind. When will the next big event hit? Will it come from a asteroid, an increase solar flare activity, or maybe even a
supernova
?
The majority of the world's population has accepted that a giant asteroid , measuring about 6 miles (about 10 kilometers) long, wiped out human life forms after it's impact on Earth. There are numerous cosmic events that has the capability of altering Earth's atmosphere and causing permanent damage which would affect human existence. This can be done by direct impact (such as an asteroid or comet), through electromagnetic activies that affect Earth's polarity, through extreme radiation activities (such as solar flares, gamma ray burst, or even a supernova). Can a catastrophic cosmic destruction cause the elimination of mankind? The short answer is yes, but will it occur in the year 2012? The Mayan long count calendar will place the Sun in perfect alignment with the center of our galaxy on December 21, 2012. Although astronomically correct, this may not necessarily mean the end of the world. It may just be the end of the cycle and will reset again. Many have theorized that the end of the Mayan long count calendar is the beginning of the end of the world. That remains to be seen, but just like many other prophecies have come and gone (such as Y2K), this too will pass and we will be ringing in 2013. The greatest anomoly that we may face, that can have a catastrophic impact, is a near Earth object (NEO) colliding with Earth. Even grazing our protective atmosphere can have long term damaging effects. A sub-category of NEO are Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHA). These PHAs are considered to be any asteroids, that are greater than 500 feet long and come within 28 million miles of Earth (or roughly 100x the distance from the Earth to the Moon). According to NASA, there are 1074 known objects, classified as PHA. There are over 20,000 yet to be identified. It happened at least once and it will happen again. When will a direct impact occur? Count your blessings, currently, there no identified NEOs or PHAs on a direct collision course for Earth. For now, enjoy life to the fullest. There really isn't any cause for alarm. Cheers! Jason
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