Page 1 of 1

Another impact, E.P.!

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 6:54 am
by Rokcet Scientist
This one – 1,837 feet wide – looks set to hit us in 172 years. MAYBE.
Astronomers discover new threat to Earth

Astronomers have detected a half-kilometre wide asteroid that appears to be on a collision course with the Earth - in 172 years time.

Reporting in the journal Icarus, scientists say the asteroid named 1999-RQ36 has a one-in-a-thousand chance of hitting the Earth in 2182.

Known as a PHA, or potentially hazardous asteroid, the asteroid was first discovered about 10 years ago and since then astronomers have been plotting its orbital trajectory.

Co-author of the study, Dr Maria Eugenia Sansaturio from Spain's Universidad de Valladolid, says the total impact probability for 1999-RQ36 is estimated to be 0.092%, and that 2182 is the most likely year for an impact to occur. [...]
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/ ... 967908.htm

We better get our tin foil hats out!

Re: Another impact, E.P.!

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:09 am
by E.P. Grondine
Thanks, Rs, but the concern is the Earth intersecting the debris chain of Comet Schwassmann Wachmann 3 in 2022.

12 years, near certainty.

Re: Another impact, E.P.!

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 2:18 pm
by Rokcet Scientist
E.P. Grondine wrote:Thanks, Rs, but the concern is the Earth intersecting the debris chain of Comet Schwassmann Wachmann 3 in 2022.

12 years, near certainty.
OK, I'll get out of the way. Thanks for the warning. I'll be on the Mars Express.

Re: Another impact, E.P.!

Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 7:49 pm
by E.P. Grondine
Rokcet Scientist wrote: OK, I'll get out of the way. Thanks for the warning. I'll be on the Mars Express.
Sorry, RS, but the other 6 billion people living on this planet might prefer to have their money spent on "mitigating" fragments of SW3, rather than on your personal ride to Mars.

I don't think that you're the kind who would kill Jeff Bezos for his seat, and I don't think you're wealthy enough to buy the seat beside him.

Be sure to mention to your friends there's a special on "Man and Impact in the Americas" over at http://cosmictusk.com

Re: Another impact, E.P.!

Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:41 pm
by Cognito
Sorry, RS, but the other 6 billion people living on this planet might prefer to have their money spent on "mitigating" fragments of SW3, rather than on your personal ride to Mars.
Do you have any feel for the size and/or breadth of cometary fragments required to create dust loading that would affect crops? I'm thinking on the order of the 536-540ad event.

Re: Another impact, E.P.!

Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 9:28 am
by Rokcet Scientist
E.P. Grondine wrote:I don't think that you're the kind who would kill Jeff Bezos for his seat,
Probably in the blink of an eye, E.P., if push came to shove. That's how the majority of people are, and I'm not presumptious enough to believe I'd be any different. Remember Titanic!
and I don't think you're wealthy enough to buy the seat beside him.
I don't need to. He ain't going, remember. There'll be a vacant seat with my name on it. Well, Jeff's name of course, but with my butt in it!