"British astronomers are providing a vital component to the world-wide effort of identifying and monitoring rogue asteroids and comets. From this month, the UK Astrometry and Photometry Programme (UKAPP) for Near-Earth Objects, based at Queens University, Belfast, will track Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and feed their crucial information into the international programme of protecting the Earth from any future impact by a comet or asteroid."
And what, exactly, does this "international program" to "protect the Earth" consist of? We have nothing. If a chunk of space rock is detected heading our way, all the astronomical community will be able to do is tell us -- government panic-control countermeasures notwithstanding. Oh, I'm sure Bush will declare a "War on Space" or something, but it will be an even crueler joke than "Operation Iraqi Freedom."
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