Earth avoids collisions with a pair of asteroids

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http://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/earth-avoids-collisions-with-pair-of-asteroids/

 

Hey Ned, it's coming right for us!

[KD in CA]

Earth avoided the collision? What, did it jump out of the way just in time?

[Chef Jim]

First pitch high and tight second low and away. The third pitch (next Friday) is going to be right in our ear hole.

[The Poojer]

 

 

First pitch high and tight second low and away. The third pitch (next Friday) is going to be right in our ear hole.

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

The OP's article says that the smaller of the two asteroids was about 50-165 feet across, was discovered only a few days before it passed us, and missed the earth by a little over half the lunar distance. Doesn't sound that scary, until you combine it with the information from this article:

 

http://news.yahoo.co...-112749440.html

 

But the outlook isn't so rosy for smaller objects. For example, observations by NASA's WISE space telescope suggest that about 4,700 asteroids at least 330 feet (100 meters) wide come uncomfortably close to our planet at some point in their orbits.

 

So far, researchers have spotted less than 30 percent of these space rocks, which could obliterate an area the size of a state if they slammed into Earth.

And we've found just 1 percent of the near-Earth asteroids that measure at least 130 feet (40 m) across, B612 officials said. Such space rocks could do considerable damage on a local scale, as the so-called "Tunguska event" illustrates.

 

In 1908, an object thought to be 130 feet wide — or perhaps even smaller — exploded above the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Siberia, flattening roughly 770 square miles (2,000 square km) of forest.

 

The second article also says that an asteroid one kilometer wide could be a civilization killer. The near miss rock wasn't that big, but it was roughly the same size as the 1908 meteor that "flattened 770 square miles."

 

So we have only found 1% of the near-Earth asteroids that size, and less than 30% of the space rocks that could destroy an entire state, and will have very little advance warning if and when we do find them.

 

Yikes!

Edited December 13, 2012 by ICanSleepWhenI'mDead

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

Here's a CNN video about an asteroid that will come close enough to earth in February that it will fly UNDER some weather satellites:

 

http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/04/asteroid-to-fly-between-earth-moon/?iref=obinsite

 

The video says it's 150-160 feet "long" [?], so a hit could have produced a Tunguska-type event.

 

And oh yeah, they don't know yet how the near-earth pass in February will alter its orbit for its next visit - - it comes by twice a year.

[DPR4444]

the Mayans were just a little early?

[truth on hold]

Toutatis orbit sounds like a fitz pass

Edited January 11, 2013 by Joe_the_6_pack

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

First pitch high and tight second low and away. The third pitch (next Friday) is going to be right in our ear hole.

Turns out, you may be right about the ear hole, but a little off on the date:

 

http://news.investors.com/politics-andrew-malcolm/021813-644829-asteroid-2012-da-14-missed-earth-narrowly-but-will-return.htm?p=2

 

Friday's uneventful visit was not without effects. The pull of Earth's gravity altered 2012 AD 14's orbit around the Sun, shortening its annual solar rotation from 366 Earth days to 317.

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

. . . in 2080 the orbit of 2012 AD 14, if unaltered in these next 67 years by some super-natural force like Bruce Willis, will slam into Earth at almost 18,000 miles an hour. That explosive encounter, NASA says, will release about 2.5 megatons of energy into the atmosphere, causing "regional devastation."

[mrags]

Turns out, you may be right about the ear hole, but a little off on the date:

 

http://news.investors.com/politics-andrew-malcolm/021813-644829-asteroid-2012-da-14-missed-earth-narrowly-but-will-return.htm?p=2

Damn!!! And just after hearing the news that Obama cancelled NASA. We're all doomed unless this thing hits in Australia. On second thought, maybe we could get rid of the Canadians once and for all. We just need to make sure this thing hits in upper Canada somewhere. And build a reallllllly tall brick wall to keep the blast out.

 

On second thought, who cares, in 67 years ill be gone anyway. Let my kids deal with it.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Damn!!! And just after hearing the news that Obama cancelled NASA. We're all doomed unless this thing hits in Australia. On second thought, maybe we could get rid of the Canadians once and for all. We just need to make sure this thing hits in upper Canada somewhere. And build a reallllllly tall brick wall to keep the blast out.

 

On second thought, who cares, in 67 years ill be gone anyway. Let my kids deal with it.

 

Good luck... Unfortunately, 90% of all Canadians live within 100 miles of the US border.

 

:-P

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

Although it was not posted, shirley somebody was thinking - - "Any updates on this asteroid stuff?"

 

http://www.weather.com/video/new-asteroid-threat-39672

[Fan in San Diego]

So I guess I should put in that underground bunker after all.