Near-Earth Objects Finding Them Before They Find Us - Yeomans, Donald K. (Princeton University Press, 2012)
Description based upon print version of record
Of all the natural disasters that could befall us, only an Earth impact by a large comet or asteroid has the potential to end civilization in a single blow. Yet these near-Earth objects also offer tantalizing clues to our solar system's origins, and someday could even serve as stepping-stones for space exploration. In this book, Donald Yeomans introduces readers to the science of near-Earth objects--its history, applications, and ongoing quest to find near-Earth objects before they find us. In its course around the sun, the Earth passes through a veritable shooting gallery of million
Includes bibliographical references and index
Earth's closest neighbors -- The solar system's origin : the classical view -- How and where do near-Earth objects form? -- Near-Earth objects as the enablers and destroyers of life -- Discovering and tracking near-Earth objects -- The nature of asteroids and comets -- Nature's natural resources and the human exploration of our solar system -- Near-Earth objects as threats to Earth -- Predicting the likelihood of an Earth impact -- Deflecting an Earth-threatening near-Earth object