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Questions About Cosmology and Catching Near Earth Objects

-- | August 22, 2015

Question #1: Hello there! Sorry for the previous thing I had sent, it was merely a comment. I am a 16 year old high school student who is interested in the study of the stars and our universe itself. And I also have a theory to which, I would highly appreciate if you took the time to read it. You know the candle light variable used to measure the distance of us from a certain star? With that being said, there is also the situation of our universe expanding farther away, and the theory of how it will stop and come back to it’s center of where it began, which is where the Big Bang theory comes from. Now, I know this sounds a bit crazy. But hear me out. Since our entire universe is made up of dark matter, also a compound in the creation of our universe with the gas and dust that creates stars, the universe coming back together, crunching into one could cause another Big Bang. In which case, would be the same illusion as a star pulsating it’s light. What if we are only specs of particles and molecules created to make one big star? What if our whole universe if just one star as we know it, and there are billions upon billions of stars, that make up universes? — Rachel

Answer #1: All theories, whether they be to explain the evolution of the universe or the properties of a star, require measurements to support them. What measurements support your theory? This is the key to any scientific investigation that involves theory which must ultimately be supported by observations.

Question #2: Also, I’d like to mention that I have an idea for a device that could be placed a certain distance away from Earth, enough not to mess with the gravitational pull, and take the near earth objects that could be potentially dangerous by coming to close and crashing in Earth. What if they made a device to take these potentially dangerous items and drag them away from Earths surface, and had a inside that could destroy the items inside? This device could also be used for meteorites, to pull them away from the Earth’s gravitational pull. Also, with delittering the area, you could catch more light in telescopes and would be allowed to possibly see things even farther than we ever have. Please message me back, telling me what you think!

Answer #2: How would this device collect meteoroids and potentially dangerous asteroids? Note that the sheer number of meteoroids and asteroids that this device would need to collect would make any “scooping” device not practical.

Jeff Mangum

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