Near-Earth Threats, NASA and Elenin – a Civilized Analysis

Recently, there has been quite a bit of talk about a comet or celestial body named Elenin (or C/2010x) that has entered our solar system and will be making a close pass of the Earth soon. At first, I assumed it was simply the talk of fanciful amateur astronomers and that, at most, it might offer an interesting night-sight for Earth’s inhabitants, much like Haley’s Comet and many others.

But as I continued hearing more and more about this “Elenin object,” I started to realize this was no mere comet. And perhaps, just maybe, it could have something to do with the famed Planet-X first reported about back in 1983 by the Washington Post. Unfortunately, it seemed as though most of what I could find was wild speculation and fanatical rantings about the end of the world. I had discovered only a handful of articles that offered any sort of rational information. It seemed as though the only thing everyone could agree on is the fact that an object is approaching planet Earth, but there are dozens of different theories regarding trajectories, size and just how close it will come. With government known for spreading disinformation, I felt as though even the authoritative sources couldn’t be completely trusted to give an accurate picture of events to come.

I try and avoid jumping to conclusions and approach topics in what I consider to be a sane, yet open-minded manner. But, since I also enjoy a good conspiracy theory, I wanted to continue down this rabbit hole and see if there was any corroborating evidence or suggestions as to what sort of threat Elenin poses to our way of life.

What I found has made me even more curious and I would like your opinion on the matter. Let’s take a look at some of the “coincidences” and events as of late in regards to a potential major Earth event of some sort:

A letter from the Executive Office of the President, dated October 15th, 2010, and signed by Director John P. Holdren, addressed to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science and Technology stated, in part:

The letter relates to Section 804 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Authorization Act of 2008, which directs the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to “(1) develop a policy for notifying Federal agencies and relevant emergency response institutions of an impending near-Earth object threat, if near-term public safety is at risk; and (2) recommend a Federal agency or agencies to be responsible for –

(A) protecting the United States from a near-Earth object that is expected to collide with Earth; and
(B) implementing a deflection campaign, in consultation with international bodies, should one be necessary.”

What I would like to focus on is the wording of this section. Legal statutes, policy papers and scientific explanations are carefully worded, leaving no room for misunderstandings, misconceptions or other confusion. It is direct and to the point. If ABC happens, XYZ responds.

In this letter, it states that the Director (of Science and Technology Policy) is responsible for developing a policy for notifying the [appropriate response groups] of an impending near-Earth object threat, IF near-term public safety is at risk … AND … [recommend what agencies should be in charge of protecting us].

For those of you that are still not quite on board with what I’m saying, I’ll break it down a bit further; the Director has two functions in this scenario and ONLY two functions. He is to develop a policy for response for near-Earth threats, comma, IF near-term public safety is at risk. The only other directive stated is for him to recommend who will respond and in what capacity. The letter, linked above and addressed to the House Committee, serves as his act of developing a policy and in it, recommends what Federal agencies should respond, how notification will be conducted, etc.

Therefore, if he has fulfilled the requirements set forth by Section 804 of the above-mentioned Act, that means that “near-term public safety is at risk” from a near-Earth object threat.

The Theories…