on your "Dim the Lights" EAS Scenario I have a of scientific explanation of how the guy heard the bangs, my estimate of the objects size to cause the ring around the Sun, and why they didn't use nukes to heart up the earth here if you don't mind IBN (sorry if it's long just couldn't help myself). also happy late birthday my friend! Size estimate: Most objects from the kuiper belt are made of mostly ice meaning the closer it gets to the Sun the smaller it becomes due to the ice melting. This means the object had to have been around the size of 1/15th of the moon after getting past Jupiters orbit. Bang explanation: Since sound travels through the vibration of atoms and molecules in a medium (such as air or water) the bangs must've traveled through the tail of water vapor and gas from the object as it passed Earth on the way to Sun. Nuke explanation: 1. Most if not all modern nuclear weapons are airburst (meaning they detonate in the air above the target) to cause the maximum aount of damage and to limit the amount of radioactive particles that gets into the athmosphere more commonly known as fallout. 2. the main two MAJOR nuclear powers (the United States and Russia) have their nukes closer to the north pole. meaning that by the time they would actually use nukes the silos would be buried and most airfields would be abandoned. 3. any radioactive partles remaing on the ground would get trapped in the ice which once melted into water would make the parts of the oceans and any lakes or rivers nearby said locations would become irradiated (to a degree)