February 5th 2040: Let the countdown begin...

[Analog]

It is 460ft wide and soaring through space - on a possible collision course with Earth.
Nasa has identified a new asteroid threat to our planet and calculated that it could potentially impact on February 5th 2040.
The 2011 AG5 has already attracted the concern of the UN Action Team on near-Earth objects, which has begun discussing ways to divert it.

The asteroid 2011 AG5 will pass near to Earth in 2040, with a one in 625 chance of hitting our planet, according to scientists

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...begun-discussing-divert-it.html#ixzz1njFCVJne
​

 

[KeithTalent]

Cool. Too bad I'll be dead before then.

KT

 

[Imp]

Start sending some nukes at it?

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Big fucking deal. Bruce Willis and his crew will go take care of it.

 

[FoBoT]

no worries
http://videos-en.astrium.eads.net/#/video/a098cbc7454s

The European Union has decided to invest in the protection of the Earth against impact by Near Earth Objects (NEOs), such as asteroids or comets. This European programme is called NEOShield.

 

[Dedpuhl]

I'll be in my 60's by then and won't care. Actually, I wouldn't care if it were to hit tomorrow...

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Not nearly big enough to be extinction level for humans no matter where it hits. Too bad, the universe needs to wipe us out and start over.

 

[IronWing]

We need a more precise impact location. There is big bucks in meteorite sales.

 

[KaOTiK]

Big fucking deal. Bruce Willis and his crew will go take care of it.

First thing I thought of as well

 

[FoBoT]

We need a more precise impact location. There is big bucks in meteorite sales.

i watch that meteorite men show on the Science Channel, that is some major $ , the one guy must be pretty well off since he keeps most of the ones he finds instead of selling them

 

[IronWing]

i watch that meteorite men show on the Science Channel, that is some major $ , the one guy must be pretty well off since he keeps most of the ones he finds instead of selling them

Back in 1993 when Esquel Pallasite slices hit the market a slice like this was selling for $85.

Being a penniless hippie (grad student) at the time, I didn't have $85. Now, in 2012, when I have a job, this slice goes for $1900 and I still can't afford one.

 

[irishScott]

So there a reason we can't launch a few nukes at it now? We can literally flatten entire nations if we want. Surely it wouldn't take that many to disintegrate a 460 ft rock.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

So there a reason we can't launch a few nukes at it now? We can literally flatten entire nations if we want. Surely it wouldn't take that many to disintegrate a 460 ft rock.

Think really hard on this, it's not nearly as complicated as a plane on a treadmill: What is the effect of an explosion in a vacuum?

 

[IronWing]

Think really hard on this, it's not nearly as complicated as a plane on a treadmill: What is the effect of an explosion in a vacuum?

An explosion on the surface of the asteroid will produce an unbalanced force, inducing thrust, thereby changing the velocity of the asteroid.

The UN is in charge so I'm not worried.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Not nearly big enough to be extinction level for humans no matter where it hits.

This. Also, at only 460 ft wide, I'd guess that hitting it with a nuke would pretty much pulverize it.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Did any of you guys catch that show on Science Channel (IIRC) the other night? It was basically about scientific explanations for Biblical stories and apparently, Sumerian astronomers recorded very accurate details of what appeared to be a large asteroid (1 km) coming into the atmosphere. A couple of scientists traced the impact to Kofels in Austria. That part is believable; the part that is a little hard for me to believe is that these scientists claim that the plume from the impact would've dumped debris into the Sodom and Gomorra area and that was the inspiration for the "fire and brimstone" storm of the Bible.

 

[IronWing]

Wait a minute. Two thoughts: 1) This asteroid is a gazillion miles from Earth right now but we know it to be 460ft wide. 2)

The asteroid which wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was nine miles wide,...

Did the Daily Mail measure it themselves?

 

[OCGuy]

1 in 625? I think the Mets have a better chance of winning the World Series. Worry not found.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Why are they even worried about it right now, and even expending resources over it? We're looking at nearly 40 years away... a lot can happen between now and then.

"Hey guys what can we waste time and money on today?"

 

[FoBoT]

The UN is in charge so I'm not worried.

 

[OCGuy]

I've seen this movie. As long as Morgan Freeman is alive and President, we should be OK.

 

[Vic Vega]

...

 

[Jeff7]

Why are they even worried about it right now, and even expending resources over it? We're looking at nearly 40 years away... a lot can happen between now and then.

"Hey guys what can we waste time and money on today?"

Planning ahead is a good thing, particularly when it's something that will become increasingly difficult to deal with as the deadline gets closer. Catch it early, and a slight nudge might be all it needs to avoid an impact. Catch it late, and you're going to have to develop an inertia-canceling warp field generator in a damn big hurry.

The next step is likely going to be to watch it to better characterize its orbit, to determine if it's really a problem.



In any case, the only reason that asteroid detection isn't a big deal is because none have happened in a populated area in recent times. If the Tunguska comet had happened in the middle of a city in Europe, I think that finding threatening objects would be a much higher priority. (Assuming the explosion wouldn't have ended up starting a war right away.)

 

[Exterous]

Well, shit - and here I was worrying about my retirement. Time to go cash in my 401(k)

 

[Pardus]

It will be something like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN1SyaSdCeM