“The Assembly invites governments of member states and the European Space Agency (ESA) to urge the setting-up and development of the above-mentioned “Spaceguard Foundation” and to give support to an international program which would:

·        establish an inventory of NEOs as complete as possible with an emphasis on objects larger than 0.5 km in size;

·        further our understanding of the physical nature of NEOs, as well as the assessment of the phenomena associated with a possible impact, at various levels of impactor kinetic energy and composition;

·        regularly monitor detected objects over a period of time long enough to enable a sufficiently-accurate computation of their orbits, so that any collision could be predicted well in advance;

·        assure the coordination of national initiatives, data collection and dissemination, and the equitable distribution of observatories between northern and southern hemispheres;

·        participate in designing small, low cost satellites for observing NEOs which cannot be detected from the ground, and for investigations which can most effectively be conducted from space;

·        contribute to a long-term global strategy for remedies against possible impacts.

While not directly providing funding for the identification and tracking of NEOs, this action by the Council of Europe strongly encourages the member nations to participate in alleviating this perceived risk to civilization.”

Governmental entities are not the only organizations concerned about the hazards of NEOs. Scientists on an international basis are also attempting to work together to address ways in which asteroids can be detected and diverted. Scientists from China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, United States and many other countries have met to examine ways in which the Earth could be defended from asteroid impacts. These meeting initially began in 1992 with the NEO Interception Workshop at Los Alamos, California and continued with meetings in Erice, Italy (1993), Snezhinsk, Russia (1994), Livermore, California (1995), and again in Snezhinsk, September 23-27, 1996. There is a heightened awareness among scientists that NEOs pose a significant threat to the Earth and they continue to focus on ways to detect and eliminate the potential catastrophe of an asteroid impact.

Currently, the scientists are facing a number of unknowns in responding to the threat. First, they do not know how many asteroids’ orbits may threaten Earth. Second, they are not confident about the present methods available that could be used to divert an asteroid, even if one is detected. At the last Space Protection of Earth Conference (SPE-96) in Snezhinsk, a number of presentations were given that presented alternative methods to deflect or destroy incoming asteroids. There are two opposing viewpoints about methods that deal with the threat. Most U.S. scientists support early detection and diversion of asteroids. One scientist, Edward Teller, has gone so far as to propose a space platform to detect and study NEOs. Russian scientists, however, prefer a space based detection system that would provide a four to seven day warning of a potential impact. They further recommended at the conference, the possibility of developing a rocket that would carry a nuclear warhead. This rocket could be launched into the asteroid, breaking it into small enough pieces that would explode in the upper atmosphere before hitting the Earth.

The issue that continued to surface in all of these meetings was that without funding, none of the proposals could be taken beyond a conceptual level. More meeting are scheduled, with the next SPE meeting planned in the new millennium. Since that meeting there is increased global awareness in the scientific community, it appears that people will only be moved to act if there is a direct threat to civilization. Revelation 8 indicates that by the time of the first trumpet, man’s efforts come too little, too late.

Find Those Rocks

A number of proposals have been developed for an early warning system for Earth threatening asteroids. Scientists have proposed both Earth-based and Space-based systems to provide early detection. While these ideas have been developed, other systems have already been put in place to identify and track the orbits of asteroids that potentially threaten Earth. Several programs have recently been initiated to observe and track NEOs. “Spacewatch” is a program located at Kitt Peak Observatory near Tucson, Arizona that has been in place since 1989.  Its stated goal is to survey the Solar System to completion. It uses a 36-inch reflector telescope combined with a charge-coupled device (CCD). This CCD is a digital sensor that is attached to a computer to locate and identify NEOs. Kitt Peak Observatory is associated with the University of Arizona. Professor Tom Gehrels and his staff have located over 126 near-Earth asteroids, as well as 5 comets. They also discovered one asteroid that approached within 63.000 miles (105,000 km) of Earth in December 1994. This program is being expanded to a site in India, so the night sky can be observed for a longer period each day.

In late 1995, another asteroid tracking program was established on Mt. Haleakala, on the island of Maui, Hawaii. The project is called NEAT, an acronym for Near Earth Asteroid tracking. It uses a 36-inch telescope with a detector that sends readings to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California for analysis. This telescope, formerly used for tracking satellites, has detected fourteen asteroids whose elliptical orbits cross Earth’s orbit. The latest one was discovered on January 10, 1997. This asteroid is an “Aten asteroid” which means its orbit is mostly within Earth’s orbit.  Scientists estimate that its diameter is approximately 600 feet.

Just one decade ago, only fifty asteroids were known to cross Earth’s orbit. Now astronomers have identified over 200 asteroids that cross our orbit and they estimate there are nine times that number that have not been identified or tracked. Once an asteroid is found, they are tracked for a period of time so their orbits can be calculated. In addition, there is always the risk that the gravitational pull of a planet could redirect the path of an asteroid toward Earth at any time.

Most of these programs run on a shoestring budget using older telescopes, since the political environment in the U.S. does not currently support significant expenditures. This mind-set is based on two reasons: First, asteroids impacting the Earth are not perceived as a threat justifying large expenditures. Second, God is in control of the political environment and He also controls the plans of man. He will not allow man’s technology to develop before it is time.

Asteroid Observation

Other methods are currently being used to observe asteroids. Of course, telescopes are being used to observe asteroids once they have been located. In addition, radar is also being used to detect and evaluate asteroids.  In February 1996, a spacecraft was deployed on a three-year mission to orbit the asteroid named 433 Eros. The focus of this mission is to learn more about the composition of the asteroid. Scientists believe that most asteroids are made up of iron, nickel and silicates. Differences in the physical composition of asteroids are due to different percentages of these elements.

How Will People Know

Political and scientific interest on the subject of asteroid impacts is causing movie and television producers to develop both programs about potential asteroid impacts. Many of you have seen the NBC television mini-series titled “Asteroid – The Sky is Falling” which aired February 16 and 17 of 1997. While scientific theory behind the story line may not be accurate, the fact that the program was watched by millions of people certainly heightened their awareness of the asteroid threat. We are also informed of two   full-length movies, one called “Sudden Impact” and the other “Armageddon that depicts civilization threatening asteroid impact.

Awareness will continue to mount as documentary programs continue to air on the subject of asteroid impacts. During the month of February, two television programs were aired: The National Geographic special was called “Asteroid: Deadly Impact” which evaluated the impact threat through the eyes of Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker (of Shoemaker-Levy 9 fame), and the Discovery Channel program titled “Three Minutes to Impact” about the history and hazards of a future asteroid hit. Can there be any doubt that the public awareness of a potential Earth impact is increasing? God is controlling public awareness and people throughout the world will find out about the trumpets right on time.

Earthy Impacts

A number of theories have been developed to prove that asteroids have previously impacted the Earth. Scientists have observed that there are often “doublet crater” of similar size on the Earth as a result of asteroid impacts. They have also noted similar cratering on the planet of Venus. Several theories have been advanced about the doublet cratering. Images from the Galileo spaceship in 1994 revealed that Ida, a 35 mile long asteroid in the main asteroid belt, has a one-mile satellite orbiting it, called Dactyl. Asteroids impacting each other probably caused this satellite. Although this may be one theory regarding double craters, it is not the only reason for this phenomenon on Earth, since the craters are typically of similar size and shape. Another potential explanation is that the asteroid broke up when entering the Earth’s atmosphere. However, since most craters are usually more than ten miles across, this leads many scientists to believe that the asteroid causing the crater would be too large to break up before hitting the ground.

For doublet craters to be created, the asteroids must have been of similar size before hitting the Earth. It is unlikely that an asteroid breaking up as it hurls through Earth’s atmosphere would break up in pieces that are the same size. Another theory for binary asteroids, as these co-orbiting asteroids are called, is that they were a single asteroid composed of loose material. In a previous pass with a planet, the material was pulled apart similar to the way Jupiter pulled apart comet Shoemaker – Levy 9 before the final impact. Then, an impact occurred on the next orbit of the planet around the sun. Astronomers also believed that some asteroids have been elongated by gravity that is exerted by various planets as the asteroid pass. Bill Bottke of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California suggests that this is what happened to asteroid 1620 Geographos Asteroid 1620 Geographos is nearly three times as long as it is wide.

Interestingly enough, astronomers and geologists now believe an asteroid impact near the Yucatan Peninsula that destroyed the dinosaurs, may also fall into this category. There are some interesting theories related to the Yucatan Peninsula impact. Some scientists now believe that the Yucatan impact was one of several impacts extending in a line off the coast of the U.S. into the North Atlantic Ocean. Another explanation is that this was another huge binary impact. Other scientists believe a chain of impacts was due to the angle the asteroid entered the Earth’s atmosphere causing it to separate into several pieces before hitting the Earth.

The Flood

This concept, when integrated with the story of the Genesis flood, resolves some interesting questions. Genesis 7:11 say, “…on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.” What caused the springs of the deep to open? Bible students normally do not consider how the flood occurred. Instead, they try to evaluate geological results in the light of what happened during the flood. An asteroid impact could be a contributing factor to the Antediluvian’s destruction. The explosion from such an impact would destroy life in a wide area surrounding the impact site and fires would be set around the world. The force generated by such an impact would disturb the tectonic plates, causing global earthquakes, opening pathways for water and lava to find their way to the surface. Volcanoes would erupt, belching ash and smoke into the air to combine with the dust raised from the asteroid impact. This dust would darken the Earth and immediately reduce the air temperature. The cooling of the air could possibly have caused the torrential rains that lasted forty day and forty nights. The Bible says, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:37) We have an excellent description of what is going to happen in the first four trumpets. Is it too much to believe that a similar event occurred at the time of the flood?

The Dark Ages

The Discovery Channel program “Three minutes to Impact” provided another piece of information that should be of great interest to Bible students. Most Christians know about the period of time called “the dark ages.” History teaches that during the dark ages, the Roman Empire faded as a political force, even though the religious structure that remained, controlled the lives of the common people and made life very difficult. Most contemporary scholars prefer to call this period of history, the middle ages, since they do not appreciate the religious overtones that accompany the term “dark ages.” Regardless of the attempt by some scholars to alleviate the use of the term, there are a number of reasons why the dark ages are labeled in this manner. Reasons include the surrogacy of the peasant people to their masters, the absolute control exercised by the Roman church and the associated martyrdom during that period. People believe that the powers of darkness (Satan) attempted to control and eliminate true Christianity through the Universal Christian Church of Rome.

However, another reason for the term “dark ages” that I had never heard before was presented on a recent Discovery channel program, which should also be of special interest to students of Bible prophecy. The program revealed that scientists have discovered evidence supporting a meteor impact in Northern Europe in A.D. 538. This impact darkened the skies, causing crop loss and weather changes for eighteen months after the impact. Therefore, the Dark Ages literally started out as the title suggests.

A.D. 538 is an important prophetic date in light of Revelation’s story. Revelation 12:1-14:5 describes a story of two beasts. The story begins with Satan trying to kill the baby, Jesus, and extends through His second coming. A key time period in this story is Revelation 12:14, which states, “The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.”

The period of “a time [one year], times [two years] and half a time [1/2 year] “ describes a period of 3 ½ years or 1,260 days (3.5 years times 360 days in a year). Since this time period falls within the time frame of the Jubilee Calendar, the 1260 days represent 1260 years of Earth’s history. This period of 1260 years ended when the pope of the Roman Catholic Church was imprisoned by the order of Napoleon in A.D. 1798. In fact, Bible students of that era were predicating that the Catholic Church would fall before 1800 based on this prophecy. If we subtract 1260 from 1798, we return to A.D. 538. Typically, Bible students who accept this 1260 day time prophecy have used 1798 and subtracted the 1260 years to document the 538 date. However, there has never been a separate event identified that marked A.D. 538 as the beginning of the dark ages. Now, historians and scientists alike have inadvertently confirmed the greatness of God. What better way could God mark the beginning of the dark ages than an asteroid impact which triggered a literal period of darkness at just the right time?

Wake Up!

Can there be any question that God is trying to wake up Earth’s population to the fact that He is returning SOON? Consider the convergence of the following events.

1. In the last two centuries, mankind has become aware those asteroids exist.

2. In the last decade, mankind has learned that:

The dinosaurs were destroyed by an asteroid impact.

Over two thousand asteroids that cross its orbit threaten Earth.

If civilization is not destroyed directly by an asteroid impact, the resulting fires and cooling effects could destroy it.

3. Governments are becoming concerned about the asteroid threat.

4. Students of Scripture are coming to the conclusion that Revelation 8 describes asteroid impacts.

5. God has used celestial signs in the past (the flood, the dark ages and the star at the birth of Christ) and will use them in the future (the stars falling, the dark day and the trumpets) to mark dates of import.

6. The media, in both documentary and fictional form, is publicizing the hazards of asteroid impacts.

7. We are now in a new millennium and people’s concern regarding millennium issues and end-time events continues to increase.

8. Technological prowess is such that man will soon have the capabilities to divert asteroid threats from Earth.

It is no mistake that these points are converging at this time. It is important to remember that or Creator is in control and He will act as He has always acted in the past – right on time. God does not require us to exercise our faith without providing us with unquestionable evidence that He is about to act (Amos 3:7) He has set the stage. He directs the world and the inconsequential plans of man. His love for us is great and knows no boundaries He will go to great lengths to awaken man to his sinful condition and the need for a Savior.

When one considers the mounting evidence, those individuals with spiritual discernment can see very clearly that God is about to make the final call for those willing to live by faith. What will you do? Are you going to share your faith in Him with others? On the other hand, has the entire Christian community fallen asleep at the wheel? God will “wake up” Earth’s inhabitants, even if He must use governments, politicians, scientists, newspaper, television stations, or movie productions. If necessary, He will make the “rocks cry out” to accompany His will. May God help each of us as we make decisions that will affect our future and the future of all people around us.