TNRTB Archive - Retained for reference information
The number, placement, and distribution of asteroids in the solar system plays a crucial role in determining the frequency and intensity of mass extinction events on Earth which in turn are critical for obtaining the just right history of life on Earth so that humans can exist there briefly. For a long time astronomers believed that the Yarkovsky effect (movement caused by uneven emission of absorbed solar radiation) moved or removed a large number of main-belt asteroids over the solar system’s history. Now, for the first time, astronomers have directly detected Yarkovsky effect movement in a nearby asteroid. This discovery confirms that the reflectivities and shapes of main-belt asteroids must be fine-tuned for human life to be possible.
Steven R. Chesley, et al, “Direct Detection of the Yarkovsky Effect by Radar Ranging in Asteroid 6489 Golevka,” Science, 302 (2003), pp. 1739-1742.
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/302/5651/1739.abstract
RTB articles: Hugh Ross, “Anthropic Principle: A Precise Plan for Humanity,” Facts for Faith, quarter 1, 2002, issue 8, pp. 24-31.
RTB video: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition
RTB book: The Creator and the Cosmos, 3rd edition
