Understanding the Earth's magnetic field and what is happening to it could be more important than worrying about the next big impact from an asteroid or comet.

Last month Delbert gave us a heads up to the show "Magnetic Storm" by NOVA (transcript) which laid out some interesting information on Earth's magnetic field and is worth viewing if you get the chance.

PETER OLSON (Johns Hopkins University): The Earth's magnetic field has been our protector for millennia, and now, it appears, it's about to go away.

JOHN SHAW (University of Liverpool): The Earth's magnet field is getting weaker rapidly.

MARIO ACUNA (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center): We cannot guarantee that the magnetic field of the Earth is still going to be there a thousand years from today.

NARRATOR: Is our invisible shield about to disappear?

JEREMY BLOXHAM (Harvard University): The question is not if that's going to happen, it's when that's going to happen.

We could be getting real tired of watching Auroras from our protective suites.
SteveS