After PhD candidate Kate Dibiasky discovers a comet on a direct collision course with Earth, she and Professor Randall Mindy try to persuade a politically distracted President, a media-saturated public, and a powerful technology company to stop it before impact.
- Scenes 1–7
Kate and Randall work within the familiar routine of astronomy and university research.
- Scenes 8–26
They discover the impact deadline and need the government and public to respond, but Orlean refuses immediate action.
- Scenes 27–60
Kate and Oglethorpe take the warning outside official channels, entering the press and television world to reach the public.
- Scenes 61–72
The scientists navigate conspiracy claims, arrest, and political reversal as Orlean finally announces a deflection mission.
- Just before
- Scene 72
Orlean apologizes and announces action, while Kate confronts her about opportunistically responding to the scandal and Calder agrees to resign.
- Scene 73
A mother and daughter watch their television program interrupted by an emergency presidential address.
- Scene 74
Orlean announces the comet’s collision course and a five-month arrival estimate from a battleship stage.
- Scene 75
This scene
