# Cosmic Close Call



## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

> asteroid 2009 VA flew past Earth Nov. 6 at about 4:30 p.m. EST. It didn't disintegrate, b_ut boy was it a close call_. *The space rock was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey only some 15 hours before it approached us*. It passed just 8,700 miles (14,000 km) from our planet's surface — slightly less than Earth's diameter.
> 
> The asteroid was just about 23 feet wide (7 meters). Still, had its path collided with Earth, it would have packed the energy of "about six kilotons of TNT," explained astronomer Donald Yeomans, manager of NASA's Near-Earth Object program office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
> 
> On average, objects the size of 2009 VA pass this close about twice per year and impact Earth about once every five years, NASA added.


Read more...


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

We lucked out on this one, CM.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

For them as are measuring, this "six kilotons of TNT" compares to Hiroshima's "Little Boy" which had the energy of about 15 kilotons.

But hey, no radiation!


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## chasMac (Jul 29, 2008)

HowEver said:


> For them as are measuring, this "six kilotons of TNT" compares to Hiroshima's "Little Boy" which had the energy of about 15 kilotons.
> 
> But hey, no radiation!


Yes, but it says similarly sized object strike the Earth about once every 5 years. Must be in the Pacific at night, as I can't recall any reports.


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## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

These are the really scary ones.

I remember a TV programme some years ago about asteroid/meteor impacts. An astronomer being quizzed about them said the ones about the size of a car or a garden shed will catch us unawares and do a lot of damage if they land on or near population centres. I'm sure also, that it was on that programme that they showed possible impact sites around the world. One such was an area in the remote Saudi Arabian desert where the desert floor was a glassy material. Evidence that something very hot had happened.


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## lookitsmarc (Feb 2, 2008)

I am surprised that SPACE.com considered 14,000 km 'slightly less than the Earth's diameter' which is 12,742 km.


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## MazterCBlazter (Sep 13, 2008)

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## screature (May 14, 2007)

lookitsmarc said:


> I am surprised that SPACE.com considered 14,000 km 'slightly less than the Earth's diameter' which is 12,742 km.


Must have been a typo and they meant slightly more... only thing that makes any sense.


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## ertman (Jan 15, 2008)

Yes, but after entering our atmosphere would it have the same mass, and therefore force of impact, by the time it actually came into contact with the surface of the earth.


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## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

Luckily........ we have superman.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

ertman said:


> Yes, but after entering our atmosphere would it have the same mass, and therefore force of impact, by the time it actually came into contact with the surface of the earth.


No, a considerable amount of the mass would have burned away. I'm not sure whether their impact estimate takes this into consideration.


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## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

Macfury said:


> No, a considerable amount of the mass would have burned away.


What proportion?


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

Snapple Quaffer said:


> What proportion?


Absolutely impossible to guess. If it blew apart in the atmosphere damage on the ground would be minimal. If it held together whole different scene.


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

Snapple Quaffer said:


> What proportion?


I think that depends a lot on the angle of entry.

I couldn't find any facts that substantiate the comment that asteroids of this magnitude hit earth roughly every five years.
The last one that hit last year in Northern Africa was about half the size, but I couldn't find any hits of an asteroid of this size prior to that.
Seems to me that 5-year number is pulled out of the air.
2008 TC3 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

There is significant degradation by atmospheric friction that will burn off a significant fraction of any mass but the proportion depends on many variables (angle of entry, initial mass, composition, etc. Asteroids often contain a lot of frozen volatiles that just evaporate.

Northern Canada has some huge craters.
Manicouagan: Manicouagan Impact Crater, Quebec, Canada
Pingualuit: Pingualuit crater


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## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

eMacMan said:


> Absolutely impossible to guess.


True.


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## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

krs said:


> I think that depends a lot on the angle of entry.


Yup. Too shallow an angle and it'll skite right off the atmosphere and we'll be OK.

Let's all pray for shallow angles.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Snapple Quaffer said:


> What proportion?


The answers you got are pretty good--who can guess? You also have to know what the surface area of the body is as well, to determine the type of hit it will take from friction.


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## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

used to be jwoodget said:


> Asteroids often contain a lot of frozen volatiles that just evaporate.


How often?


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

Snapple Quaffer said:


> How often?


Very often


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## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

krs said:


> Very often


WOW! 'Very'. OK! Cool. What a relief ... I think.

What proportion of asteroids (as opposed to comets) are soused with volatiles to the extent that they would lose a 'significant' amount of their mass if they penetrated the atmosphere? And how 'significant' would the k.e. of any remnant(s) be when impact with solid, dry land occurred?

And on the other hand, what proportion of NEOs are of the stony-iron variety? (A 'significant' proportion of any originally present volatiles having already been removed.)


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

If you're worried about being hit, consider that the total surface area of the earth is about 510 million square kilometers - just make sure you';re not near the one square kilometer where the asteroid is coming down.


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## GratuitousApplesauce (Jan 29, 2004)

krs said:


> If you're worried about being hit, consider that the total surface area of the earth is about 510 million square kilometers - just make sure you';re not near the one square kilometer where the asteroid is coming down.


Isn't that better odds than winning the lottery?

Hey, if you're in that square km., go stock up on tickets .... oh wait ...


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

I'm not so sure you should be worried just about that sweet spot, the one square kilometer. 

Remember the dinosaurs?


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## MazterCBlazter (Sep 13, 2008)

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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

MazterCBlazter said:


> You were around then?


Some people think so!


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

SINC said:


> Some people think so!



:clap::clap:

Some people think that The Flintstones is a documentary. 

Still, I have seen first-hand the Great Meteor Crator in Arizona, and it is quite a sight.


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## MazterCBlazter (Sep 13, 2008)

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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

MazterCBlazter said:


> WHat is it then?


Like Planet of the Apes, it's a peek into the future, i.e., "science."


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## Mckitrick (Dec 25, 2005)

"it'll burn up in our atmosphere and whatever's left will be no bigger than a chihuahua's head"


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## MazterCBlazter (Sep 13, 2008)

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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

SINC said:


> I'm not so sure you should be worried just about that sweet spot, the one square kilometer.
> 
> Remember the dinosaurs?


But that happens only every 65 million years give or take a few million.

Oooops - I guess we're due for one of these hits soon - give or take a million or so years.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

TechEBlog Russia Planning to Divert Earth-bound Asteroid




> Russia's federal space agency has announced a plan to stop and divert an asteroid that is "estimated to pass within about 30,000 km of the Earth in 2029." One idea entails building a large ship designed specifically for bumping the asteroid off course. Continue reading for the news report.






+
YouTube Video









ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.


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## BigDL (Apr 16, 2003)

An AstroTug ?


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

BigDL said:


> An AstroTug ?


Laugh or cry if you will, but if it had some military promise, it would already be built.


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## Snapple Quaffer (Sep 2, 2003)

Dr.G. said:


> Laugh or cry if you will, but if it had some military promise, it would already be built.


Quite so, Dr. G. The USAC* awaits its orders.

(* The United States Asteroid Corps.)


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Snapple Quaffer said:


> Quite so, Dr. G. The USAC* awaits its orders.
> 
> (* The United States Asteroid Corps.)


I see it more as the space tug bringing in some communication/spy satellites for closer studying.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Just spread rumours that the asteroid contains marijuana and the might behind the War on Drugs would swing into action to destroy it.


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## BigDL (Apr 16, 2003)

Macfury said:


> Just spread rumours that the asteroid contains marijuana and the might behind the War on Drugs would swing into action to destroy it.


or a suggestion of a super strain of alien bud....that, will unstoppably, take over the world...


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## MazterCBlazter (Sep 13, 2008)

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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

MazterCBlazter said:


> First they will land in Amsterdam. That way they can be close to Oktoberfest.
> 
> Toke me to your leader.


:lmao:


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Here comes another one....!*





> An asteroid 30 to 50 feet across will pass by the Earth at just more than one-third the distance between the Earth and the Moon on Wednesday. That’s the closest near-Earth object approach currently known between now and the flyby in 2024 of a similar-size object known as 2007 XB23.
> 
> The new asteroid, called 2010 AL30, was discovered by the NASA-funded Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research program, and announced Monday by the Minor Planet Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
> 
> The short amount of time between the spotting of the object and its near intersection with Earth is a good reminder that humans don’t know every object that could come hurtling out of space and collide with our planet.


(Wired Science)



> According to Spaceweather.com, 2010 AL30 will appear as bright as a 14th magnitude star and pass through the constellations Orion, Taurus and Pisces as it passes the Earth. Magnitude is a standard used by astronomers to measure the brightness of objects in the sky. The lower the number, the brighter the object, with the brightest stars in the sky categorized as either a zero or first magnitude.
> 
> 2010 AL30 is not the only space rock passing relatively close by Earth this week. Another recently discovered object, known as 2010 AG30, will zip by the planet on Thursday. But that asteroid is a bit smaller, 43 feet (13 meters) wide, and will pass by at a comfortable distance of about 650,000 miles (1 million km) from Earth, NASA scientists said.


(Space.com)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

For a more peaceful view of the cosmos...

*Time-Lapse Video Shows Milky Way Galaxy from Swiss Alps*



> Whether you're at the Swiss Alps for business or leisure, there's nothing like star gazing on a cold winter night. Magictimelapse shot this incredible video from the following locations: "Diavolezza, Glecksteinhutte (Grindelwald), Carschina, Arosa, Glarnisch, and Vrenelis Gartli." Continue reading to watch.


(TechEblog)


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Very peaceful, Mark. There is a spot in Nova Scotia that has little light pollution, so little that astronomers are trying to make it a preserve for observing the night sky.


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## macdoodle (Jul 12, 2009)

MazterCBlazter said:


> The aliens just doing some practice target shooting. Maybe they will send us a big on at the end of 2012?


Thought you might get a chuckle out of this MatzerC


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## MazterCBlazter (Sep 13, 2008)

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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Panel calls for global 'asteroid defence agency'*



*Excerpts:*


> On Friday, a US National Research Council panel led by Irwin Shapiro of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, issued a report on how best to respond to the asteroid threat.





> Existing surveys are incapable of finding 90 per cent of near-Earth asteroids that are 140 metres across or larger by 2020, a goal set by the US Congress in 2005.
> 
> •	Launching a powerful asteroid-hunting space telescope could allow the goal to be met as early as 2022, but would likely cost more than $1 billion.


(New Scientist)


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

$1 Billion for a telescope that might save lives??? Not gonna happen. That money is much too desperately needed to continue the extermination efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and upcoming campaigns in Iran and Yemen.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

eMacMan said:


> $1 Billion for a telescope that might save lives??? Not gonna happen. That money is much too desperately needed to continue the extermination efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and upcoming campaigns in Iran and Yemen.


Hmmm, maybe that's why NASA fudged the figures in their latest climate change report? That would help sell carbon credits to raise funds for the telescope, wouldn't it?


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*WISE Bags its First Near-Earth Asteroid*





> Well, that didn't take long: The WISE spacecraft (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) spotted its first near-Earth asteroid on January 12, 2010, two days before the official start of its all-sky survey. That's a pretty good catch, considering WISE just popped it lens cover a couple of weeks ago (December 29, 2009) and released its "first light" image on January 6. This is the first of what researchers hope will be thousands of previously undiscovered asteroids in the main asteroid belt, and hundreds of new near-Earth asteroids. By mapping the whole sky in infrared light, it should also be able to capture millions of new stars and galaxies.
> 
> WISE's software picked up the object, 2010 AB78, moving against a background of stationary stars. Researchers followed up and confirmed the discovery with the University of Hawaii's 2.2-meter (88-inch) visible-light telescope near the summit of Mauna Kea.
> This asteroid does not pose any foreseeable impact threat to Earth, but scientists will continue to monitor it. 2010 AB78 is currently about 158 million kilometers (98 million miles) from Earth. It is estimated to be roughly 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) in diameter and circles the sun in an elliptical orbit tilted to the plane of our solar system. The object comes as close to the sun as Earth, but because of its tilted orbit, it is not thought to pass near our planet.


(JPL via Universe Today)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

> Pieces of a giant asteroid or comet that broke apart over Earth may have crashed off Australia about 1,500 years ago, says a scientist who has found evidence of the possible impact craters.
> 
> Satellite measurements of the Gulf of Carpentaria (see map) revealed tiny changes in sea level that are signs of impact craters on the seabed below, according to new research by marine geophysicist Dallas Abbott.
> 
> ...


(National Geographic)


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

An interesting theory, Mark. Of course, someone should teach this author how to write correctly. At first reading, I thought "How does an asteroid crash 'off' of Australia?" 

"Pieces of a giant asteroid or comet that broke apart over Earth may have crashed off Australia about 1,500 years ago, says a scientist who has found evidence of the possible impact craters." This should properly read "... have crashed off of the coast of Australia ...."


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Asteroid Might be Visible to Naked Eye on Feb. 17*





> An asteroid could be visible with binoculars, or even the naked eye on Wednesday, February 17, 2010. No, it's not coming close to Earth, although this second most massive object in the asteroid belt will be at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, about 211,980,000 kilometers (131,700,000 miles) away. Asteroid Vesta – one of the asteroids that the Dawn spacecraft will visit – will be at opposition on Wednesday, meaning it is opposite the sun as seen from Earth, and is closest to us. Vesta is expected to shine at magnitude 6.1, and that brightness should make it visible for those with clear skies and a telescope, but perhaps even those blessed with excellent vision and little or no light pollution. Vesta will be visible in the eastern sky in the constellation Leo, and will continue to be visible — although less so — in the coming months.
> 
> What makes this space rock so prominent these days? Along with its relative proximity at this point, a full half of the asteroid is being bathed by sunlight when seen from Earth, making it appear brighter. Another attribute working in the observer's favor is that Vesta has a unique surface material that is not as dark as most main belt asteroids – allowing more of the sun's rays to reflect off its surface.


(Universe Today)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

_As Dr. G. might say, *oy vey!*_

*Dark, dangerous asteroids found lurking near Earth*





> In its first six weeks of observations, it has discovered* 16 previously unknown asteroids with orbits close to Earth's.* Of these, 55 per cent reflect less than one-tenth of the sunlight that falls on them, which makes them difficult to spot with visible-light telescopes. One of these objects is as dark as fresh asphalt, reflecting less than 5 per cent of the light it receives.


(NewScientist)


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## MazterCBlazter (Sep 13, 2008)

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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

CubaMark said:


> _As Dr. G. might say, *oy vey!*_
> 
> *Dark, dangerous asteroids found lurking near Earth*
> 
> ...


I might say something else, Mark. We shall see.


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## macdoodle (Jul 12, 2009)

MazterCBlazter said:


> Cough 2012 cough


I hear that cough , I seem to have it too, wonder if anyone else can hear it??


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

CBC News - Technology & Science - Dinosaur demise theory holds up "Dinosaur demise theory holds up"

Hope we fare better than the dinosaurs. We shall see.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Dr.G. said:


> Hope we fare better than the dinosaurs. We shall see.


I'd be good with a few hundred million years of pre-eminence!


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

Macfury said:


> I'd be good with a few hundred million years of pre-eminence!


Perhaps I am being overly optimistic but it seems to me that the human race will self destruct long before the 100 million year mark.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macfury said:


> I'd be good with a few hundred million years of pre-eminence!





eMacMan said:


> Perhaps I am being overly optimistic but it seems to me that the human race will self destruct long before the 100 million year mark.


Sad, but all too true, eMacMan. 

Still, whatever good we can do on this Earth for people, animals, plant-life, the environment, I say we should do it and let the future unfold as it will. We shall see. Paix, mon ami.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Neptune may have eaten a planet and stolen its moon*





> NEPTUNE may have polished off a super-Earth that once roamed the outer solar system and stolen its moon to boot. The brutal deed could explain mysterious heat radiating from the icy planet and the odd orbit of its moon Triton.
> 
> Neptune's own existence was a puzzle until recently. The dusty cloud that gave birth to the planets probably thinned out further from the sun. With building material so scarce, it is hard to understand how Uranus and Neptune, the two outermost planets, managed to get so big.
> 
> But what if they formed closer in?


(Read more at NewScientist)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Here comes another one!*

*
Asteroid to Fly by Within Moon's Orbit Thursday*





> A newly discovered asteroid, 2010 GA6, will safely fly by Earth this Thursday at 4:06 p.m. Pacific (23:06 U.T.C.). At time of closest approach 2010 GA6 will be about 359,000 kilometers (223,000 miles) away from Earth - about 9/10ths the distance from to the moon. The asteroid, approximately 22 meters (71 feet) wide, was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey, Tucson, Az.


(JPL/NASA)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

Well... they were right about it not hitting us... but off on the trajectory by a bit...



> *Small asteroid flies safely by Earth*
> 
> A small asteroid flew safely by our planet Thursday night, coming within 434,000 kilometres of Earth — just beyond the moon's orbit.
> 
> The newly discovered asteroid 2010 GA6 made its closest approach at 10:07 p.m. ET Thursday, according to information on the NASA web site.


(More at: CBC)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

...and another one just went by...

*Potentially Dangerous Asteroid Spotted Passing Earth*



> n asteroid on the list of potentially dangerous space rocks that could endanger the Earth was caught on camera as it zoomed past our planet this month, and found to be larger than astronomers originally thought.
> 
> The asteroid buzzed the Earth on April 19 and came within 1.5 million miles (2.4 million km) of the planet. That's about six times the distance between Earth and the moon.





> The astronomers found that the asteroid is about 1,300 feet (400 meters) in size – about a quarter-mile (400 meters) long and twice as big as originally thought. The Arecibo telescope's planetary radar system resolved features on the asteroid down to about 25 feet (7.5 meters).





> On Nov. 8, 2011, the asteroid will complete another trip around the sun and swing by Earth again just inside the moon's orbit. It should fly by at a distance of 191,120 miles (307,577 km), about eight-tenths the distance between Earth and the moon. The distance from Earth to the moon is on average about 238,900 miles (384,472 km).
> 
> The asteroid poses no risk of impacting the Earth when it returns next year, though astronomers will keep watching its path through space.


(Space.com)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Huge Asteroid Pallas Visible From Earth*



> This week, the huge asteroid Pallas reaches opposition, being opposite to the sun in Earth's sky, making it a prime target for avid skywatchers with telescopes.
> 
> Asteroids are not as well behaved as planets, and their orbits are often far from the plane of the ecliptic. This is clearly the case with Pallas, because it reaches opposition in the unlikely constellation of Serpens Caput, very close to Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. This is a pretty circlet of stars just to the left of Arcturus in northern hemisphere skies.
> 
> To spot Pallas tonight, look for the brightest star, called either Alphecca or Gemma, in Corona Borealis. Pallas is an 8th magnitude object just south of this star.


(Space.com)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Two more rocks passing by on Wednesday...*

*2 Asteroids to Pass Earth Closer Than the Moon*



> In an unprecedented event for astronomers, two asteroids will swing past the Earth Wednesday at a distance closer than the moon.
> 
> The two asteroids, which will not be visible to the naked eye, were only recently discovered by astronomers with the Mount Lemmon Survey in Tucson, Ariz. They are in different orbits with close passes that will come nearly 11 hours apart. While scientists say neither threatens to strike the planet, the two space rocks do provide a challenging skywatching opportunity.


(Space.com)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Huge Asteroid to Fly By Earth in November*





> A large space rock will pass close to Earth on November 8, 2011 and astronomers are anticipating the chance to see asteroid 2005 YU55 close up. Just like meteorites offer a free “sample return” mission from space, this close flyby is akin to sending a spacecraft to fly by an asteroid – just like how the Rosetta mission recently flew by asteroid Lutetia – but this time, no rocket is required. Astronomers are making sure Spaceship Earth will have all available resources trained on 2005 YU55 as it makes its closest approach, and this might be a chance for you to see the asteroid for yourself, as well.


(Full story at UniverseToday)


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## MazterCBlazter (Sep 13, 2008)

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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

_*Just a reminder folks - this pass is coming on Tuesday... But according to reports, the material that makes up this rock is "darker than coal" so there won't be any visual sightings... *_

NASA eyes asteroid's close encounter with Earth



> NASA is about to begin detailed observations of an asteroid nearly twice as wide as Canada's largest stadiums, scheduled to pass between the Earth and the moon's orbit next Tuesday.
> 
> The 400-metre-wide space rock known as 2005 YU55 will make its closest approach to Earth at 6:28 p.m. ET on Nov. 8. At that point, it will be just 324,600 kilometres away from Earth or roughly 85 per cent of the distance between the Earth and the moon. The last time an asteroid this big came this close to Earth was in 1976.
> 
> However, it isn't expected to pose any threat and its gravity will have "no detectable effect on anything here on Earth," NASA reported.


(CBC)


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## kelman (Sep 25, 2010)

Too bad we won't see it!

Wait, if it's darker than coal, and it's in dark outer space, how did they see it?


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Oopsie.*

*Number of asteroids that pose risk to Earth is doubled*



> The Earth is at risk from more asteroids than previously thought, according to a new survey. New data from the asteroid-tracking NEOWISE mission reveals that twice as many asteroids as previously thought are on low-inclination orbits that could bring them into contact with our home planet.
> 
> "We were very surprised to find that," says Amy Mainzer of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.


(NewScientist)


*Related:*

*Approaching Asteroid May Get Close Enough to Smash Satellites*



> A newly discovered asteroid called 2012 DA14 will pass so close to Earth in February that it might hit a communications satellite, scientists say.
> 
> "That's very unlikely, but we can't rule it out," said Paul Chodas, a planetary astronomer





> NASA currently estimates that the likelihood of 2012 DA14 striking Earth anytime in the next several decades is 0.031 percent—a figure that will be refined after astronomers collect data on its close pass next February.
> 
> But considering the uncertainty, scientists can't rule out the possibility that the asteroid might hit Earth on a subsequent pass, including the next flyby in 2020.


(NationalGeographicNews)


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

CubaMark said:


> *Oopsie.*
> 
> *Number of asteroids that pose risk to Earth is doubled*
> 
> ...


Next up... "*NEOWISE has links to Harper Government!*"...


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Heads up! Here comes another one...*

*Watch an Asteroid Fly by Earth Live on Sunday*



> On Sunday, July 22, we will have a live feed from the Slooh Space Camera. The show will start at 4:30 p.m. Pacific (7:30 Eastern) with images from the Slooh telescope in the Canary Islands





> The asteroid, known as 2002 AM31 was discovered 10 years ago by Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR). It is a fairly large near-Earth asteroid — about 3,000 feet wide — and will come within about 3.2 million miles of Earth, or roughly 14 times the Earth-moon distance. This comes on the heels of another large asteroid, 2012 LZ1, which flew by at a similar distance on June 14. Because of its size and distance, 2002 AM31 is classified as “potentially hazardous,” though it has zero chance of hitting Earth.


(Wired)


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

CubaMark said:


> *Heads up! Here comes another one...*
> 
> *Watch an Asteroid Fly by Earth Live on Sunday*
> 
> ...


Zero chance of it hitting the earth, eh? Well, then, we will just have to wait for global climate change to clean up the local gene pool.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

_This wasn't an asteroid - but man, it could have really messed us up..._

*NASA: Earth JUST dodged comms-killing SOLAR BLAST in 2012*



> A new analysis of data from NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) by Chinese and Berkeley helioboffins shows that a July 2012 solar storm of unprecedented size would have *wiped out global electronic systems* if it had occurred just nine days earlier.





> "Had it hit Earth, it probably would have been like the big one in 1859, but the effect today, with our modern technologies, would have been tremendous," said UC Berkeley research physicist Janet Luhmann.
> 
> The 1859 storm, also known as the Carrington Event, after the British astronomer who recorded it, swept over the Earth at the end of August and is the largest recorded solar storm in history. The aurora borealis extended as far south as Cuba and telegraph systems burnt out across Europe and the US,





> The cost of an extreme space weather event, if it hits Earth, could reach trillions of dollars with a *potential recovery time of 4 to 10 years.*


(The Register UK)


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

Why should we be interested in a cosmic event that happened 2 years ago but didn't affect us?

Slow news day on the cosmic level I guess.


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

screature said:


> Why should we be interested in a cosmic event that happened 2 years ago but didn't affect us?
> 
> Slow news day on the cosmic level I guess.


This is one of those sooner or later it will happen items, so it is certainly worthy of mention. Seems to have taken NASA a good long while to bring it to the general publics attention, but again not unheard of in the world of cosmic events.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

eMacMan said:


> T*his is one of those sooner or later it will happen items, so it is certainly worthy of mention. Seems to have taken NASA a good long while to bring it to the general publics attention, but again not unheard of in the world of cosmic events.*


Something like it will most definitely happen sometime in the future. Or maybe Yellowstone will erupt first... who knows?

But I fail to see how that something that happened 2 years ago without any ill affect is newsworthy to the general public today. 

IMO it is not worthy of mention to the general public in the least. Unless mass hysteria is your objective. But wait, that seems to fit your MO and what you desire... so by all means continue on....

I am most interested to hear what you have to say next.

Some times no news is good news...

We don't always need to know what could have happened.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

What the **** is your problem, screature?

EDIT: goddamn auto-curseword-editing f-ing forum software.....


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

CubaMark said:


> What the **** is your problem, screature?
> 
> EDIT: goddamn auto-curseword-editing f-ing forum software.....


I'm not blaming you about your post CM (I just fail to see how the story is news worthy today, but that is not your fault), although I can definitely see how you could interpret it as such. The only problem I had with your post is with what you chose to emphasize.

What I am trying to say it that we all have "near death" experiences but they don't make the news and for good reason.

2 years out and we are safe. Good news. But you bolded the potential time of recovery (not to mention the loss of lives). 

That is a real bumber, what exactly is the point in that other than to bring people down?

We are all going to die some day and it most likely isn't going to be pleasant in one manner or the other individually or collectively.

We dodged a bullet!! 2 Years ago! 

Yay!! Woo Hoo! :clap: 

I guess with recent times and the long winter I am growing tired of negativity.

Forgive me for my rant... also just tired of being tired.

Peace out.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

...and I'm just getting close to my limit of snark. JokerEh, MacFury, and this from you - people who don't seem to have anything positive to contribute to this community apart from sniping at anything anyone else offers that we think others might find interesting.

It's crap like this that leaves us wondering why the hell we bother to post anything in such an unwelcoming environment. At this point I come back to ehMac daily out of force of habit, certainly not for any positive interactions I've had of late...


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

New fireball in sky seen over Nova Scotia this morning - Nova Scotia - CBC News

Interesting that this should happen two night in a row in roughly the same area. Not much of a cosmic "close call", but still interesting in my opinion.

Paix, mes amis.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Must be tough casting these pearls among swine.



CubaMark said:


> ...and I'm just getting close to my limit of snark. JokerEh, MacFury, and this from you - people who don't seem to have anything positive to contribute to this community apart from sniping at anything anyone else offers that we think others might find interesting.
> 
> It's crap like this that leaves us wondering why the hell we bother to post anything in such an unwelcoming environment. At this point I come back to ehMac daily out of force of habit, certainly not for any positive interactions I've had of late...


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## MacGuiver (Sep 6, 2002)

CubaMark,

I find the subject of your post interesting. When you consider our dependence on electronics these days for practically everything essential to life, had that hit the plant things would have escalated into chaos rather quickly. I think we'd have seen an unprecedented amount of death and violence on the planet. Heck there are people that will kill you for your sneekers now. Glad we dodged the bullet there.
On a lighter note: Witnessing the lives of my own children now, I predict teenagers would wander the earth like moaning zombies holding dead cell phones and iPods.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

MacGuiver said:


> CubaMark,
> 
> I find the subject of your post interesting. When you consider our dependence on electronics these days for practically everything essential to life, had that hit the plant things would have escalated into chaos rather quickly. I think we'd have seen an unprecedented amount of death and violence on the planet. Heck there are people that will kill you for your sneekers now. Glad we dodged the bullet there.
> On a lighter note: Witnessing the lives of my own children now, I predict teenagers would wander the earth like moaning zombies holding dead cell phones and iPods.


I've watched an ADULT in Facebook hell during a four-hour power outage, desperately trying to read a book and fidgeting while they try to take their mind off the disconnect.


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

MacGuiver said:


> CubaMark,
> 
> I find the subject of your post interesting. When you consider our dependence on electronics these days for practically everything essential to life, had that hit the plant things would have escalated into chaos rather quickly. I think we'd have seen an unprecedented amount of death and violence on the planet. Heck there are people that will kill you for your sneekers now. Glad we dodged the bullet there.
> On a lighter note: Witnessing the lives of my own children now, I predict teenagers would wander the earth like moaning zombies holding dead cell phones and iPods.


I think you are right about the kids. Still it would be wonderful if they rediscovered some of the things that brought us old farts joy when we were that age. 

As to Yellowstone my visits seem to have triggered a major earthquake and somewhat later a massive forest fire. Maybe it's time for that third visit.


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## MacGuiver (Sep 6, 2002)

Macfury said:


> I've watched an ADULT in Facebook hell during a four-hour power outage, desperately trying to read a book and fidgeting while they try to take their mind off the disconnect.


I hear ya. I think I'd be a bit of a zombie too (not because of Facebook however) though not on the same level as my kids.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

CubaMark said:


> ...and I'm just getting close to my limit of snark. JokerEh, MacFury, and this from you - people who don't seem to have anything positive to contribute to this community apart from sniping at anything anyone else offers that we think others might find interesting.
> 
> It's crap like this that leaves us wondering why the hell we bother to post anything in such an unwelcoming environment. At this point I come back to ehMac daily out of force of habit, certainly not for any positive interactions I've had of late...


I see nothing wrong with the subject as posted, it sure made me think as to what might happen if we have a repeat performance in the near future. Who knew such things even were an issue? Not me. 

I appreciate most things you post here Mark, even though as you know, we are at the opposite sides of some issues. That noted, I think we are both inquisitive enough that we learn from each other at times.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

CubaMark said:


> ...and I'm just getting close to my limit of snark. JokerEh, MacFury, and this from you - people who don't seem to have anything positive to contribute to this community apart from sniping at anything anyone else offers that we think others might find interesting.
> 
> It's crap like this that leaves us wondering why the hell we bother to post anything in such an unwelcoming environment. At this point I come back to ehMac daily out of force of habit, certainly not for any positive interactions I've had of late...


Hey dude I apologized.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

screature said:


> Hey dude I apologized.


Hell hath no fury like an amateur astronomer scorned!


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

s'okay, screature. We're cool.

MF: Take a long walk off a short pier, willya?


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Near-Earth Asteroid 2015 HD1 narrowly missed Earth on Tuesday*












> Asteroid 2015 HD1, a small and faint asteroid, about 50 feet across, missed Earth by a hair's breadth at about 3 a.m. CDT ( 8 UTC), Tuesday, April 21, hurtling past at just 45,600 miles (73,400 kilometers) or* 0.2 lunar distance*.





> *The asteroid was discovered for the first time on Saturday, April 18, three days before it made closest approach to Earth,* by astronomers at the Mt. Lemmon Survey in Tucson, Arizona.





> However, the small size of 2015 HD1 means that if it were to collide with Earth it would likely break up in the atmosphere into a shower of meteorites.
> 
> According to Earthksy.org, an asteroid in the size class of 2015 HD1, about 50 feet across, wouldn't do much damage if it collides with the Earth because most of its original mass would disintegrate due to the heat of friction as it passes into the Earth's atmosphere.
> 
> *The meteor which broke up over Chelyabinsk in Russia* on February 15, 2015 *was about the same size as 2015 HD1*, and thus provides convenient case study of what might have happened if 2015 HD1 had broken up directly over a human population center.


(Digital Journal)


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Too bad--would have enjoyed the fireworks...


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*An Asteroid Will Pass Earth So Closely Next Month That We Could See It in the Sky
*







Let’s be very clear here: There is simply no possibility that Asteroid 2013 TX68 will get close enough to hit Earth when it flies by on March 5th. What it may do, though, is come close enough to be visible.

What would it look like? That mostly depends on the trajectory the asteroid takes, which NASA researchers are still trying to figure out. The most likely path has it at just over 1 million miles away. But it could also follow a trajectory that spins it much further out so that, even with the aid of a telescope, it would be too far out of range to glimpse at 9 million miles away. But if conditions are just right, the asteroid could come within 11,000 miles, easily catchable with a telescope.​
(Gizmodo)


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

CubaMark said:


> But it could also follow a trajectory that spins it much further out so that, even with the aid of a telescope, it would be too far out of range to glimpse at 9 million miles away. But if conditions are just right, the asteroid could come within 11,000 miles, easily catchable with a telescope.


Hell! What's their margin of error? It could be 9 million miles--or 11,000--but we guarantee it won't strike!


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## Rps (May 2, 2009)

Not trying to sound like a smart ass, but if the big one is coming, and there is nothing we can do about it.....do we need to know?


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

Rps said:


> Not trying to sound like a smart ass, but if the big one is coming, and there is nothing we can do about it.....do we need to know?




I agree *Rps*, just let me be surprised if I happened to be around, especially if I'm anywhere close to any impact site…


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Rps said:


> Not trying to sound like a smart ass, but if the big one is coming, and there is nothing we can do about it.....do we need to know?


Depends where it hits and how large.


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Rps said:


> Not trying to sound like a smart ass, but if the big one is coming, and there is nothing we can do about it.....do we need to know?


Yes.

For, when it happens, I wanna be ears deep in a pail of my best beer. Or on my Hawg, doing 200kph. Or between my...

Yes, I definitely want to know.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Asteroid TC4: 100ft-Wide Space Rock Poised to Come Within a Cosmic Hair's Breadth of Earth*










An asteroid measuring between 30 feet and 100 feet is set to pass Earth on October 12 at a distance of 27,000 miles—about an eighth of the distance to the Moon. This makes it one of the largest close approach asteroids to brush past Earth this year, and presents NASA with a valuable opportunity: To test out its planetary defense systems.

The asteroid, named TC4, was discovered in 2012 and scientists have been tracking it ever since—until recently, it was thought TC4 could come within 4,200 miles from Earth’s surface.

However, scientists at the European Space Agency have now made the first direct observations of the object. These new views of the asteroid have allowed experts at NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) to refine its orbit and the distance at which it will make its closest approach. The asteroid is currently travelling at a speed of 30,000mph and while it appears very dim at the moment, it will get brighter as it gets closer.

(Read more at: Newsweek)​


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## pm-r (May 17, 2009)

> An asteroid measuring between 30 feet and 100 feet is set to pass Earth on October 12 at a distance of 27,000 miles—



Let's hope that their calculations are correct and that it will just pass by… otherwise we might be reading of some colliding Earth shattering news. ;-)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Here she comes.....!*

*Asteroid will pass Earth well inside moon's orbit, giving us a chance to practise for a collision*










Astronomers around the world will turn their eyes to the sky Thursday as a roughly 20-metre-wide asteroid will fly well within the moon's orbit, about 50,000 kilometres above Earth.

While this asteroid currently poses no threat to Earth, scientists are hoping to gather information to refine its orbit. With government agencies, they are also preparing for a day when a similarly sized asteroid could enter Earth's atmosphere.

** * **​
An asteroid's orbit can be changed by several factors. This one's will change as a result of passing so close to Earth. Sunlight, too, affects the orbit through a process known as the Yarkovsky effect, and it is minor in the short term.

"The orbit will be very significantly changed by this close approach," Brown said. "And that, together with the uncertainty of the Yarkovsky, are the things that really make this encounter in the 2075-2079 time range most uncertain still."

More than a dozen observatories, universities and laboratories around the world will be watching the asteroid on Thursday, according to NASA.

"Some time in the next few years, we'll have a conversation where it's going to be, 'This thing will hit in two days, and what are we doing?' And a lot of what we're doing will be learned in this exercise this week," Brown said.
(CBC)​


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Sean Connery should blow it up with a nuke!


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Macfury said:


> Sean Connery should blow it up with a nuke!


And let Ben Aflack live????????????


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Hmmmmmmm* 

*Astronomers unveil secrets of interstellar visitor*










Astronomers say they've learned more about the first known object to enter our solar system from deep space, including its size and colour. 

New data from the European Southern Observatory's telescopes and others around the world have revealed that the asteroid — spotted last month, already speeding away from the sun — is rocky, cigar-shaped and about 400 metres long.

It's believed the interstellar interloper could be one tenth as wide as it is long. 

The researchers were even able to determine its colour: it has a reddish hue.

The discovery was an exciting one for the astronomical community as it was the first recorded visitor from beyond our solar system.









This artist's concept shows the first interstellar asteroid ever observed, named Oumuamua.​
(CBC)​
*The alien-hunting community must be all riled up....*









*UFO Shape - Cigar*​


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

Rather than cigar shaped maybe a disk viewed edgewise?



CubaMark said:


> *Hmmmmmmm*
> 
> *Astronomers unveil secrets of interstellar visitor*
> 
> ...


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Asteroid buzzed Earth this weekend*
*2018 GE3 swept by at half the moon’s distance Sunday, just hours after being detected. Its size is 3 to 6 times that of the space rock that penetrated the skies over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013.*










A medium-sized asteroid buzzed by Earth just hours after being detected this weekend. *First observed* at Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona *on Saturday*, April 14, 2018, the asteroid – which has been labeled 2018 GE3 – swept past us at about half the Earth-moon distance early Sunday morning according to clocks in North America. Closest approach to Earth occurred at around 2:41 a.m. EDT (6:41 UTC; translate UTC to your time) on April 15.

Its closest point to Earth was just 119,500 miles (192,317 km) away. That’s in contrast to the moon’s quarter-million-mile (400,000 km) distance. According to NASA, hours later, at about 5:59 a.m. EDT on April 15, the space rock passed even closer to the moon than it had to Earth.

With an estimated diameter of 157 to 361 feet (48 to 110 meters), asteroid 2018 GE3 has about three to six times the diameter of the space rock that penetrated the skies over Chelyabinsk, Russia in February 2013, causing some 1,500 people to seek treatment for injuries, mostly from flying glass.

Asteroid 2018 GE3, an Apollo type earth-crossing asteroid, was flying through space at 66,174 miles per hour (106,497 km/h).

(EarthSky)​


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

For those interested in reading up on the cosmic shooting gallery:

*International Asteroid Watch Network*

Most recent entries describe a bolide over Kamchatka in March, and another over western Cuba in February, the smoke trail and (wait for it...) shockwave were captured on video:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23nXImqaGoc[/ame]


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

This one (1999 KW4) was discovered twenty years ago - and it came pretty darn close to us on the weekend. The radar images are pretty cool, and the animation is just... freaky!

Can you catch the error in this article from IFLS?

*A Mile-Wide “Potentially Hazardous Asteroid” With Its Own Moon Whizzed Past Earth This Weekend*










A 1.6-kilometer-wide (1-mile) “potentially hazardous” asteroid system passed by Earth over the weekend.

1999 KW4 is a binary system – two space objects close enough in proximity to orbit each other – that was first discovered on May 20, 1999, by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) project in New Mexico. Observations over the last two decades have marked the near-Earth object (NEO) as “potentially hazardous” given its small chance of colliding with Earth. Fortunately for us, this time it came within a relatively safe distance of around 5 million kilometers (3 million miles) from Earth. It's travelling at some 77,200 kilometers (48,000 miles) per hour, making its closest approach at 7:05 pm EST on May 25, and won’t be that close again until 2036. Eventually, its path could collide with Earth, but radar measurements indicate no significant chance of such an event anytime in the next millennium.

The asteroid-pair is unique in its characteristics. The main object spins like a top with a ridge around its equator, according to NASA. Its small moon, roughly one-third the size of Earth, orbits 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) every 16 hours. Las Cumbres Observatory says the main object’s shape is “slightly squashed at the poles and with a mountain ridge around the equator, which runs all the way around the asteroid. This ridge gives the primary an appearance similar to a walnut or a spinning top.”

(IFLS)​


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

> The main object spins like a top with a ridge around its equator, according to NASA. Its small moon, roughly one-third the size of Earth, orbits 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) every 16 hours.


I seriously doubt that its small moon is 1/3 the size of earth.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

eMacMan said:


> I seriously doubt that its small moon is 1/3 the size of earth.


Heh - yeah, the author made a wee mistake, eh? 1/3 the size of the asteroid, of course.


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