Near miss asteroid...a very near miss.

cheerfulgreek · #1 03-03-2009, 05:59 AM

I just learned that there was an asteroid that just passed by Earth. It was only 40,000 miles up when it passed. It was a pretty big one and would have landed in the Pacific Ocean as I can remember. If it would have made an impact with us, it would have been the size of a nuclear blast. The near miss is the good news. The bad news is it's coming back. Hopefully it will miss, otherwise we'll have to take action.

RU OX Alum · #2 03-03-2009, 07:24 AM

why not just blow it up?

cheerfulgreek · #3 03-03-2009, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

why not just blow it up?

As I can remember, I think they said it was 1/4 the size of the moon. With an asteroid that large, it would be better to somehow move it so it takes a different trajectory. If we were to blow it up, then it would break into smaller pieces. If it's broken into smaller pieces then instead of a huge asteroid making an impact with the earth, many asteroids would make an impact with us. I mean, it wouldn't be as devastating, but it would still be a major catastrophe. It's also important to determine what the asteroid is made up of. They are not all made of rock. Some of them are rock, some of them are a mixture of rock and metal, and there are some that are almost entirely metal. There's a lot of "planning ahead" and work that goes into stopping a huge asteroid from making an impact with us.

PeppyGPhiB · #4 03-03-2009, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

As I can remember, I think they said it was 1/4 the size of the moon. With an asteroid that large, it would be better to somehow move it so it takes a different trajectory. If we were to blow it up, then it would break into smaller pieces. If it's broken into smaller pieces then instead of a huge asteroid making an impact with the earth, many asteroids would make an impact with us. I mean, it wouldn't be as devastating, but it would still be a major catastrophe. It's also important to determine what the asteroid is made up of. They are not all made of rock. Some of them are rock, some of them are a mixture of rock and metal, and there are some that are almost entirely metal. There's a lot of "planning ahead" and work that goes into stopping a huge asteroid from making an impact with us.

Duh! Anyone who saw Armageddon knows that it's made up of iron ferrite! Maybe if we drill deep enough into it (drill, baby, drill!), we can break up the asteroid into small enough pieces that miss us by juuuuust enough. And it'll create jobs! And win back all the goodwill we've lost in the past decade!

"The United States government just asked us to save the world. Anyone wanna say no?" - Harry Stamper

SWTXBelle · #5 03-03-2009, 04:28 PM

Great. Something else to worry about.

DaemonSeid · #6 03-03-2009, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Duh! Anyone who saw Armageddon knows that it's made up of iron ferrite! Maybe if we drill deep enough into it (drill, baby, drill!), we can break up the asteroid into small enough pieces that miss us by juuuuust enough. And it'll create jobs! And win back all the goodwill we've lost in the past decade!

"The United States government just asked us to save the world. Anyone wanna say no?" - Harry Stamper

We may need a bailout plan to fund blowing up the asteriod unless we can make this an international effort and divert the world's attention away from the drying up of natural resources.

PeppyGPhiB · #7 03-03-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

We may need a bailout plan to fund blowing up the asteriod unless we can make this an international effort and divert the world's attention away from the drying up of natural resources.

Isn't saving the world an international effort?

Oh, and if I have to do it, I don't want to pay taxes again...ever.

cheerfulgreek · #8 03-03-2009, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Duh! Anyone who saw Armageddon knows that it's made up of iron ferrite! Maybe if we drill deep enough into it (drill, baby, drill!), we can break up the asteroid into small enough pieces that miss us by juuuuust enough. And it'll create jobs! And win back all the goodwill we've lost in the past decade!

"The United States government just asked us to save the world. Anyone wanna say no?" - Harry Stamper

Was that comment even necessary? Seriously.

SWTXBelle · #9 03-03-2009, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Duh! Anyone who saw Armageddon knows that it's made up of iron ferrite! Maybe if we drill deep enough into it (drill, baby, drill!), we can break up the asteroid into small enough pieces that miss us by juuuuust enough. And it'll create jobs! And win back all the goodwill we've lost in the past decade!

"The United States government just asked us to save the world. Anyone wanna say no?" - Harry Stamper

Necessary? No.

Funny? Yes.

DaemonSeid · #10 03-03-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

why not just blow it up?

You didn't see Armageddon did ya?

Bruce will die if we try that.

agzg · #11 03-03-2009, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

You didn't see Armageddon did ya?

Bruce will die if we try that.

LOL.

I'm leavin' on a jet plane...

starang21 · #12 03-16-2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

why not just blow it up?

you ever seen armageddon? that's what the guy who got a C- in astrophysics at MIT said.

DrPhil · #13 03-16-2009, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starang21

you ever seen armageddon? that's what the guy who got a C- in astrophysics at MIT said.

If you show up late, please read the thread. :unsure:

starang21 · #14 03-16-2009, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrPhil

If you show up late, please read the thread. :unsure:

:laughing:

i know i know

:flowers:

PeppyGPhiB · #15 03-16-2009, 02:12 PM

This thread is worth a read, too.