Date: Sun, 8 Nov 92 05:14:38 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V15 #398 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Sun, 8 Nov 92 Volume 15 : Issue 398 Today's Topics: Comet deflection & mining Lunar effects on living organisms Welcome to the Space Digest!! Please send your messages to "space@isu.isunet.edu", and (un)subscription requests of the form "Subscribe Space " to one of these addresses: listserv@uga (BITNET), rice::boyle (SPAN/NSInet), utadnx::utspan::rice::boyle (THENET), or space-REQUEST@isu.isunet.edu (Internet). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 07:34:28 GMT From: Steve Linton Subject: Comet deflection & mining Newsgroups: sci.space,alt.sci.planetary Source-Info: Sender is really isu@VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU In article , szabo@techbook.com (Nick Szabo) writes: |> Deflecting anything but the strongest nickle-iron asteroid |> with a nuclear explosive is silly. Many asteroids are probably |> rubble piles, not single big rocks, and comets are so fragile we've |> seen some calve off big chunks and obliterate themselves just from |> internal gas pressure. For a comet, farting can be suicide! You don't bomb the comet. You set off a fusion explosion a couple of km away (maybe even more) to melt the skin on one side and produce a sudden burst of outgassing. This might cause the comet to calve, though probably no large pieces would still be on impact trajectories. If one was, repeat as needed. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 07:56:11 GMT From: Steve Linton Subject: Lunar effects on living organisms Newsgroups: sci.space There are some definite examples of this, mediated by tides. The mass coral spawniong on the Great Barrier Reef, for example, takes place 4-5 days after the October full moon. I don't know of any in land animals. ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 15 : Issue 398 ------------------------------