Wow, deadly asteroid near miss last night!

The Coffee Shop
1

This kind of makes the bank crisis seem trivial doesn’t it?

Little did we know that on Monday night an asteroid the size of a 20 story building zipped within 41000 miles (less than twice the distance of many telecommunications satellites) from the earth. If there was an impact they estimate that it would have completely incinerated an entire large city similar to 1000 Hiroshima bombs (25K radius) or if it hit the ocean it would have created a monstrous tsunami wiping out 100s of miles of coastal cities.

2

Meanwhile, Canada is preparing to launch a satellite in 2010 that will look for dangerous rocks close to Earth, known as Near Earth Objects.

canada - fuck yeah!

now we’ll have mounties AND the ability to detect incoming, potentially apocalyptic “near earth objects”!

3

Meanwhile, Canada is preparing to launch a satellite in 2010 that will look for dangerous rocks close to Earth, known as Near Earth Objects.

canada - fuck yeah!

now we’ll have mounties AND the ability to detect incoming, potentially apocalyptic “near earth objects”!

well you gotta have something to protect all those caribou.

4

I want to know how they didn’t see it until 2/27. I’d think it’d be easy to spot.

5

I want to know how they didn’t see it until 2/27. I’d think it’d be easy to spot.

you’re kidding right? do you realize how small something like that is in the cosmic scheme of things?

6

Yes and no. It seems they identify quite a few objects in space headed in our direction, why not this one?

And, I was trying to be a bit funny.

7

Yes and no. It seems they identify quite a few objects in space headed in our direction, why not this one?

And, I was trying to be a bit funny.

fair enough for the funny, on the other hand this thing is smaller than a pebble in the grand scheme of things, I am actually surprised they saw it so early, but then again depending on the material maybe the albedo/reflection gave it away

8

But in the movies they always see it a year in advance! Where was Ben Affleck when we needed him!?

Yes, I was being funny on that one.

9

**I want to know how they didn’t see it until 2/27. I’d think it’d be easy to spot. **

I am not sure if this is the same asteroid, but I heard there was one that was going to pass close by about 2 weeks ago on NPR. If it is the same asteroid, it is going to pass by again in a few years…this time even closer. Supposedly, within a decade, its course is going be such that it impacts the Earth. As I recall, the plan is to shoot some nukes at it the next time it comes by to alter its orbit enough so that it will not hit our planet. I thought that was kind of cool.

Bernie

10

I thought that was kind of cool.

Which one, the use of nukes or the building sized iron rock that was to hit us? or both?

11

Both, I guess. The story/interview/science is just fascinating. I am not really looking forward to a rock slamming into the planet though.

Bernie

12

This kind of makes the bank crisis seem trivial doesn’t it?

NO

13

The problem is not the size of the object, the problem is how much stuff there is to look at.

14

I am not really looking forward to a rock slamming into the planet though.

Well, at least, if and when it does, we’ll know who’s to blame, right?

"I’m mad as hell, and I’m not gonna tak—SPLAT!

15

Ya I think I felt the wind rush by or It was my wife farting in bed.

16

**Well, at least, if and when it does, we’ll know who’s to blame, right? **

Sure we do…the whipping boy du jour! Rush will find a way to blame Obama. Rahm Immanuel will blame the auto companies. The religious right will blame homosexuals. The left will blame Bush (probably Jeb by the time this happens).

Bernie

17

Pictures or it didn’t happen.

18

If it almost hit us it’s it a “near hit”? Not a near miss which would imply that it actually hit us.
Courtesy George Carlin

19

**Pictures or it didn’t happen. **

How about a video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RKKgMDK7A4

20

Very cool. Went right “through” Orion.