Centuries ago, the work of Edmond Halley demonstrated to the world that comets were not evil omens as many superstitious Europeans believed but celestial bodies in outer space. Even so, comets and asteroids could pose a direct threat to all life on Earth. The real question is whether humanity has the tools to meet that threat?

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PHOTO CAPTION: Comet Lovejoy near the constellation Ursa Major

NASA/MSFC/Jacobs Technology/ESSSA/Aaron Kingery

REFERENCES:

'Edmond Halley: Charting the Heavens and the Seas'

by Alan Cook

'The Day the Mesozoic Died: How the Story of the Dinosaurs' Demise was Uncovered'

by Sean B. Carrol

http://nautil.us/issue/32/space/the-day-the-mesozoic-died

'Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni (1756-1827) and the origins of modern meteorite research'

by Ursula B. Marvin

'Asteroid Apocalypse? Why Scientists Worry About 2036 'Planet Buster'. Newsweek.com

by Michio Kaku

https://www.newsweek.com/asteroid-apocalypse-why-scientists-worry-about-2036-planet-buster-63395

'Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission', NASA.gov

https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense/dart

MUSIC:

"Shores of Avalon" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

"Perspectives" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

"Infinite Perspective" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

"Ossuary 1: A Begining" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

"Ossuary 6: Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/