Not one year, scientists, and advanced people spend too much time news that in 2029, in the immediate vicinity of the Earth will fly large asteroid Apophis. The question, whether avoid Land conflicts, much more serious than the toys with the Mayan prophecy. But here's the problem: even if the intruder will fly past in 2029, he will return, and in 2036, when he again will pass by our planet, the probability of collision with the Earth will double. So what do we sit idly by?

Who is Apophis?

Romanticism adds the fact that named the asteroid Apophis - the name either of an ancient deity which was to play the role of avenging sword for humanity. And this "angel of death" half a kilometer in diameter (diameter famous Tunguska, I recall, was about 60 meters!) hurtling towards the Earth with a speed of more than 30 kilometers per second. Impressive?

You just do not think that the asteroid is something unique. Already in the XIX century was founded about 400 such heavenly phone And today they add to the list a thousand large asteroids in the month. But only few of them as dangerous as Apophis, which has come to the attention of astronomers seven years ago. And having considered its orbit, scientists became agitated. BA-BA-BA, in 2029, it will be only some 30 thousand miles from our planet! Dangerously close, scientifically speaking. And in 2036-m closer - probably, we are not to miss. That is, if we do not act. And what can be done?

Well, to begin to find out WHAT he is! After all, we don't even know what fear. Whether it is a block of granite flies on us, whether a piece of iron, and perhaps a heap of sand, which the force of gravitation "slavilsya" in a giant snowball. From what we are dealing with, and depend measures of restraint "hostile activities".

Space patrol

Alas, to calculate the exact orbit of the asteroid, so we can only more or less optimistic build version. Researchers propose to send towards the asteroid automatic station that will set him on the radio transmitter, which allows for precise orbit guest, but things are right where they are. And time goes by... and disturbing ticking lost in the screams of political demagogues and short-sighted officials. Meanwhile, in 2003 in Russia was formed "TsNIIMash", and its specialists have developed the project "Citadel", containing several methods of struggle with potentially dangerous space objects. Scientists then said, "Apophis is no need to fear: because we warned about it, we have time to prepare for the meeting". Worse, if "descend" stranger, we don't even know how many such rotates in the Solar system. Need a giant telescopes, able to monitor specific areas of the celestial sphere... But where can you find them? Or rather, where to take money?

Today, these systems only work in the US, but they help to catch body sizes less than 0,5 km, so the appearance of such "crumbs" always unexpectedly for astronomers. And the trouble they can make horomnyi! When about two million years ago, comet with a diameter less than a mile fell between South America and Antarctica, wave 1000 (!) meters height threw a giant whales in the Andes. Now, to deal with "aliens" and develops methods of physical action. What does it mean? Create a spacecraft weighing two hundred pounds, which would be launched ballistic missiles to knock down "uninvited guests" from the intended path. He could even sit on them for a series of experiments to determine the composition and weight, for example. Or he might have managed, flying closer to the asteroid, to paint it white colour: the thing is that then the surface of the blocks will absorb less sunlight, and thus energy. And change the speed and flight path...

We'll go the other way

There is another way - to use for protection from asteroid their own kinetic energy. On the way of their movement are created artificial scattering obstacles that the collision form craters with the emission of a certain mass. The asteroid slows down and comes down from orbit. Specialists of the American space flight Center named Marshall designed the interceptor ship to protect the earth from a potential space threats. With its help, you can change the trajectory of interest in case of real danger to Earth. And the ship for these purposes seems to be already at work: it is known that it will consist of the so-called platform and six vehicles with nuclear warheads, which will in turn be issued towards the target.

Platform this is a difficult thing: it must be equipped with solar panels, heat exchangers, portable light locator, cameras for wide and narrow sectors of the review, reactive control system, control system of feedback and on-Board electronics... According to specialists, the bombs will explode at a distance equal to one third of the diameter of the asteroid, and they will make part of the surface of the dangerous object in the expanding plasma that can give strength to his removal from the dangerous course. The project, of course, exciting, almost fantastic, but experimental launch of the ship is planned in 2020-2021 years. Let's wait -- see...

How will it be?

And if humanity still miss out on salvation, is what awaits us? That is literally how will it be?

Well, something like this: first, will appear on the horizon fireball diameter in half a kilometer. Buildings, trees, grass, clothing people in the immediate vicinity will flare up as matches. The few survivors in the first instant of the accident will receive the burns of the third degree and above, but are unlikely to feel pain because above the Ground sweep of the tremendous power of the wind (about 700-800 meters per second), followed by a catastrophic earthquake... the City, which will be in the epicenter of the explosion, will cease to exist. Apophis will destroy all life on the area of 500 square kilometers! This is the size of an average European country. Then go through the Land wave, tsunami, and finally comes the "asteroid winter"associated with the emission of huge amounts of dust into the atmosphere. And about such trifles, as a colossal volcanic eruptions, even to say no.

Imbued? Now you already feel that the time is not enough? That's me too! I stress wait, when will begin the close collaboration of different countries, interaction in the face of danger of destruction of civilization? And I think, where will this huge money? Note that Russia has money for the rescue expedition cosmic scale is not there. But we have a nuclear potential and the Americans, say, a very good system of monitoring of potentially dangerous objects, we need each other! The main thing is to understand this and stop compete, proving his superiority. Angel of death raised his sword, and don't particularly want to know who is in the queue first.