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CAN ASTEROIDS DESTROY THE WORLD?

By Arthur Zulu

“So, one day little Gulliver went to Brobdingnag, country of giants”; teacher was telling students. “Suddenly it began to rain and a huge hailstone struck him, and he disappeared to ground.” The children stared at their teacher in wonderment.” Each time he wanted to rise up,” continued teacher,” more hailstones sent him down. This continued till Glumdalclitch, his keeper discovered him and dug him out.” End of story. The relieved students laughed.

That ‘s not a laughing matter. For that scenario some say, will soon be a possibility for earth and its inhabitants. That means that soon we and our children would be having to duck, not hailstones, but on-coming comets from outer space. But when Asteroids -- giants ones, come calling, then play is over.

Dinosaurs know it is not a plaything when gigantic asteroids hit earth. Of course they are not around now to tell us story. Geologists are, however, on hand to point out huge craters dug by falling meteors. There is one in Arizona for sightseers.

Now, asteroids don’t just dig craters. The one that hit Tunguska, Siberia ignited forests and decimated wild life. But that’s just a tip of iceberg.