- 2000 will not be the year in which the
world will end as a Thai astronomer points out that the periodic comet
Tempel-Tuttle that causes Leonid shower from tomorrow until Wednesday may
hit the Earth in 2097.
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- Khao Muanwong, with a PhD in astronomy
and the former dean of Khon Kaen University's Faculty of Science, said
that the comet would be at the same position as Earth on Nov 15, 2097.
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- ''The comet and meteors travel in a direction
opposite to Earth's. But the orbits of some comets cross the Earth's orbit.
Tempel-Tuttle is one of these. Every 32.9 years, Tempel-Tuttle's orbit
brings it close to Earth's orbit. Nonetheless, according to my calculation,
based on an astronomical database researched by DK Yeomans of Nasa [National
Aeronautical and Space Agency], when the comet returns in 2097, it will
hit the Earth,'' Khao said.
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- ''The chances are very slim, though.
Indeed, I feel that Nasa has already tried to do something to stop the
comet but have not publicised it yet. The only way to avoid the damage
is to destroy the comet,'' he added.
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- To date, no one knows how big Tempel-Tuttle
is. ''But whether it is big or small, since it will hit the Earth, damage
is inevitable. What Nostradamus said about Doomsday could well be true,
including big floods and earthquakes,'' Khao said.
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- The Tempel-Tuttle comet, discovered by
Wilhelm Tempel and Horas Tuttle in 1865, orbits the sun every 32.9 years,
and intersects the earth's orbital path at its closest position to the
sun. The comet is about 1.9 kilometres in diameter, too small to be seen
with the naked eye.
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- The veteran astronomer added that in
the year 2000, instead of worrying about Doomsday, we should worry about
the economic and social crisis that is causing suffering in society and
help to solve the problems together.
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- ''If you want to preach holy words to
protect the world, do it but do not believe that the Earth will be destroyed
in 2000. It will not happen, I assure you. Nonetheless, I cannot assure
on what will really happen in 2097.''
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- The comet Tempel-Tuttle and the Leonid
shower were first identified in 1866 by Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli
and experts in celestial mechanics Urbain Le Verrier and Theodor von Oppolzer.
Schiaparelli published his calculation for the orbit of the Leonid stream
while Le Verrier and Oppolzer spotted a striking resemblance of the Leonid
orbit to that of the newly- discovered comet Tempel-Tuttle.
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- When the comet comes close to the sun,
it leaves particles in its orbit which fall to Earth when its orbit crosses
the Earth's orbit. In astronomy, if there are more than 10,000 shooting
stars per hour, the phenomenon is called meteor showers.
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- The famous meteor showers are Perseid
shower which happens every August, Draconid shower which occurs in September,
Orionid shower every October and Leonid shower which occurs every November.
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- Scientists believe that this year is
a great year for the Leonid shower because Tempel-Tuttle travelled near
the sun on Feb 28 and passed the spot in the orbits where the Earth will
arrive on Nov 18 about 257 days ago. The particles the comet left behind,
thus, are still thick and will become a storm of meteor shower similar
to the ones in 1833, 1866 and 1966.
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- According to Khao, the Leonid shower
is named Leonids because it seems to radiate from a spot in the constellation
of Leo. Nonetheless, it will not be possible to see the centre of the constellation.
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- ''You can see the Leonid shower everywhere
in Thailand, including Bangkok, around 2 am. You need only blankets and
a folding floor mattress. I don't suggest you drive upcountry in the night
and hurry back to work in the morning. If you really want to go out of
the city, Bangpoo or Lad Krabang would be far enough. See the shower and
realise that it is caused by the comet Tempel-Tuttle that may hit the world
in 2097. Nonetheless, do not be afraid of it. It will not hit the earth
now or in the future. We're still alive,'' Khao concluded.
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