The Advancement of Computers
Computers are one of the most important inventions ever. If computers had not been invented, technology would not be developed to its current state.
Since the computers invention, society has changed drastically. Computer technology is so helpful, that it is even used to create newer, better computer equipment. Almost everything today is linked in some way, to computers. Before computers were invented, very little was known about outer space.
With the technology we have now, we are learning new things everyday.
Computers are used to follow the paths of asteroids and predict their future movements. On 6 December 1997, a mile-wide asteroid was discovered by astronomer Jim Scotti, a member in the University of Arizona's Spacewatch group. He used a 77-year-old telescope along with an electric camera that caught the asteroid on film. He then used a computer specially programmed to look for objects moving against the background of fixed stars. The computer worked so well that Scotti described the asteroid as "sticking out like a sore thumb" (Jaroff 68). His information was relayed to Brian
Marsden, a Harvard
page 2 astronomer, to determine the course of the asteroid. After many calculations, Marsden's computer showed the rock would pass Earth approximately 600,000 miles away. This may not seem important, but if an asteroid was on a line with Earth, the computer would show us and enable us to deflect the projectile with nuclear power (Jaroff 69). Thus, computers can even help save lives.
In "Spies in the Sky", Bill Sweetman writes about the use of satellites and computers for spying on other countries. On 20 December 1996, three computer operated satellites were released into orbit for use against Iraq.
Each one costs 800,000,000 dollars or more, most of which is spent on the computer equipment needed to control them. When the radar data is received from the satellite dish, it has low resolution and lacks clarity. Computer
Since the computers invention, society has changed drastically. Computer technology is so helpful, that it is even used to create newer, better computer equipment. Almost everything today is linked in some way, to computers. Before computers were invented, very little was known about outer space.
With the technology we have now, we are learning new things everyday.
Computers are used to follow the paths of asteroids and predict their future movements. On 6 December 1997, a mile-wide asteroid was discovered by astronomer Jim Scotti, a member in the University of Arizona's Spacewatch group. He used a 77-year-old telescope along with an electric camera that caught the asteroid on film. He then used a computer specially programmed to look for objects moving against the background of fixed stars. The computer worked so well that Scotti described the asteroid as "sticking out like a sore thumb" (Jaroff 68). His information was relayed to Brian
Marsden, a Harvard
page 2 astronomer, to determine the course of the asteroid. After many calculations, Marsden's computer showed the rock would pass Earth approximately 600,000 miles away. This may not seem important, but if an asteroid was on a line with Earth, the computer would show us and enable us to deflect the projectile with nuclear power (Jaroff 69). Thus, computers can even help save lives.
In "Spies in the Sky", Bill Sweetman writes about the use of satellites and computers for spying on other countries. On 20 December 1996, three computer operated satellites were released into orbit for use against Iraq.
Each one costs 800,000,000 dollars or more, most of which is spent on the computer equipment needed to control them. When the radar data is received from the satellite dish, it has low resolution and lacks clarity. Computer