Mystery object to whizz by Earth Wednesday

Analog

Lifer
Jan 7, 2002
12,755
3
0
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WASHINGTON – A mystery object from space is about to whizz close by Earth on Wednesday. It won't hit our planet, but scientists are stumped by what exactly it is.
Astronomers say it may be space junk or it could be a tiny asteroid, too small to cause damage even if it hit. It's 33 to 50 feet wide at most.
NASA says that on Wednesday at 7:47 a.m. EST, it will streak by, missing Earth by about 80,000 miles. In the western United States it may be bright enough to be seen with a good amateur telescope.
 

Regs

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
16,666
21
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Now as we turn our heads from the 50 foot object we have a 40,000 sq ft object travelling at a steady 21km per second.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
71,103
13,997
126
www.anyf.ca
lol I wonder how they find these things. If I was some guy staring at that all day I would just figure it's a dot like any other on the screen. I would probably get fired when a certain dot happens to be an entire planet somehow heading straight for earth, killing us all.
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
lol I wonder how they find these things. If I was some guy staring at that all day I would just figure it's a dot like any other on the screen. I would probably get fired when a certain dot happens to be an entire planet somehow heading straight for earth, killing us all.

OMG!!! It's a dot!!! Houston I have a dot!!! Does anyone else see this dot??!!?? I THINK IT'S MOVING!!!! DOT!! DOT!!! DOT!!! Can anyone hear me???!!!
 

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
There are too many objects to track and we have no way to spot small objects that are streaming through space right now and just big enough to make it through the atmosphere and kill someone.


It is scary when you stop and think about it, so don't.
 

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
OMG!!! It's a dot!!! Houston I have a dot!!! Does anyone else see this dot??!!?? I THINK IT'S MOVING!!!! DOT!! DOT!!! DOT!!! Can anyone hear me???!!!

All the way across the (dot) Matrix (galaxy). ;)
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
71,103
13,997
126
www.anyf.ca
OMG giant printer of death! Dots everywhere! NO!!! it's increasing to 600 DPI, we're so screwed! (ok this could make a funny flash animation, too bad I suck at that lol)
 

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
OMG!!! It's a dot!!! Houston I have a dot!!! Does anyone else see this dot??!!?? I THINK IT'S MOVING!!!! DOT!! DOT!!! DOT!!! Can anyone hear me???!!!

LOL
That reminds me of when I was watching a NASA broadcast from a mission and all the people in the room were jumping up and down, clapping, excited and then they showed the video:

Dot.......bigger dot.....shimmering dot.......then it was gone

I just couldn't be less excited.
 

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
LOL
That reminds me of when I was watching a NASA broadcast from a mission and all the people in the room were jumping up and down, clapping, excited and then they showed the video:

Dot.......bigger dot.....shimmering dot.......then it was gone

I just couldn't be less excited.

Looks like a dot, gone in a dash. Let's name it the little Morse that couldn't.