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Space rock 'on collision course'

Alpha-1Alpha-1 Elite RangerGermany
[quote]
[img]http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1640000/images/_1644899_aster300.jpg[/img]
By Dr David Whitehouse
BBC News Online science editor


An asteroid discovered just weeks ago has become the most threatening object yet detected in space.
A preliminary orbit suggests that 2002 NT7 is on an impact course with Earth and could strike the planet on 1 February, 2019 - although the uncertainties are large.

Astronomers have given the object a rating on the so-called Palermo technical scale of threat of 0.06, making NT7 the first object to be given a positive value.

From its brightness, astronomers estimate it is about two kilometres wide, large enough to cause continent-wide devastation on Earth.

[/quote]
[url="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2147879.stm"]more[/url]

[This message has been edited by Alpha-1 (edited 07-27-2002).]
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Comments

  • WORFWORF The Burninator
    The end of the world is at hand!

    Worf

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    Do not try the patience of Firstones, for they are subtle and quick to anger.
  • 2019 huh?

    Well guess that measn I'm going to take up smoking, eat a lot of read meat and have a ton of un-protected sex!

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    "Ambassador we all know that the first casulty of war is the truth."
    -John Sheridan

    Ok so it's not exactly Max's journal but I think it's good
    http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40551
  • Alec MAlec M Award Winning Poster
    Not to worry, as it's only 2 kilometres or so wide. Even a low yield nuclear device could vaporize a good deal of an object that size. Just to be safe though, it would be a good idea to hit it with a very large bomb.

    That is, if it's actually going to strike, which we don't know for sure yet.

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    [url="http://slade__tek.tripod.com/"]Alec McClymont[/url]
    3D Artist - GVFX
    "Something is only impossible until it's not."
  • WarbleWarble Ranger
    They should really be using these near-miss asteroids as target practice to be a bit more prepared for the day when one is definatly going to hit.
  • JackNJackN <font color=#99FF99>Lightwave Alien</font>
    The one in the Yucatan Pennisula 65 Million years ago was estimated at 6 miles across, and produced a Magnitude 12 earthquake that pushed the crust on the opposite side of the Earth.

    It's not neccessarily the size that matters, it's the angle of impact, and the speed of the object too.

    Shotgun pellets are small also, but they do real damage.

    And it's the domino effect triggered by it that does all the damage. Tsunami's, ground quakes, shattered faults, returning debri, fire storms, erupting volcanoes, etc...
  • C_MonC_Mon A Genuine Sucker
    I like potatoes!!
  • Data CrystalData Crystal Pencil Artist
    Well, this certainly is interesting... Nice to see that there are plans for a Deep Impact scenario as well...

    But anyways, I agree. People have the tendency not to fix something that works... or let's just say doesn't do any harm. The ol' rock up there would make a good target practice run for some lunar lander nukes. I at least think so. Worst thing they could do right now is that they're just going to keep calculating the course and after five years say that [i]"Yup, it's definitley going to hit us, but we need some more calculations to be sure..."[/i]

    And the next thing they're going to discover is that it's actually 3.5 clicks wide... [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]

    How about some creative guessing? IF that bugger hits the earth, where does it hit or which country will it decimate? My vibes say... Poland. Don't ask me why. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/tongue.gif[/img]

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    [i]"It does not require an artist to wield the blade that finds itself struck through the heart of an opponent. It takes a true artist to present the sword and allow the man to strike himself against it."[/i]
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    As /. put it, the rating of 0.06 means that you should be more worried about being run over by an aardvark some time in the next 17 years.

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    [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Never eat anything bigger than your own head.[/url]
    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • EternityEternity Elite Ranger
    Hummmmmm I think that the USA and Russia have found a use for all those nukes that they are disarming - shoot em at the rock. lemme see say 200 missiles hitting a 2Km rock. - dirty snowball actually - it'll almost certainly be vaporised by 200 of em!

    BOOM!
  • RhettRhett (Not even a monkey)
    [quote]Originally posted by Warble:
    [b]They should really be using these near-miss asteroids as target practice to be a bit more prepared for the day when one is definatly going to hit.[/b][/quote]

    I agree that we should have a plan and practice it, for the day when it does happen (and so we dont get caught with our pants down). Of course, then you have to deal with the greens who will call using nukes in space horrible and that they cause significant damage to the earth and all creatures, bla bla bla bla...
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    The the dust kicked up by rock that killed the dinos didn't kill the dinos. The 6 mile long rock didn't kick up enough dust to block out out the sun. But it did kick up sulfer, which is a very common deposit in the Yucatan. Sulfer shuts down photosynthesis. It looks like if that asteroid landed anywhere else, the old life might have survived.
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    [quote]Originally posted by rhett:
    [b] I agree that we should have a plan and practice it, for the day when it does happen (and so we dont get caught with our pants down). Of course, then you have to deal with the greens who will call using nukes in space horrible and that they cause significant damage to the earth and all creatures, bla bla bla bla... [/b][/quote]

    The annoying thing with that is that shooting nukes at it won't make much difference to the radiation level in space, because the place is flooded with radiation already. But the greens wouldn't accept that at all.

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    [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Never eat anything bigger than your own head.[/url]
    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • Alec MAlec M Award Winning Poster
    I think it would be ironic that the only thing capable of saving life on this planet is a widely hated weapon of devastation.

    I'm sure all the greens would just love it!

    Yay for nuclear warheads!!!

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    [url="http://slade__tek.tripod.com/"]Alec McClymont[/url]
    3D Artist - GVFX
    "Something is only impossible until it's not."
  • JackNJackN <font color=#99FF99>Lightwave Alien</font>
    [quote]Originally posted by Biggles:
    [b] The annoying thing with that is that shooting nukes at it won't make much difference to the radiation level in space, because the place is flooded with radiation already. But the greens wouldn't accept that at all.

    [/b][/quote]
    You beat me to that one Biggles! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]

    heh heh
  • JackNJackN <font color=#99FF99>Lightwave Alien</font>
    [quote]Originally posted by croxis:
    [b]The the dust kicked up by rock that killed the dinos didn't kill the dinos. The 6 mile long rock didn't kick up enough dust to block out out the sun. But it did kick up sulfer, which is a very common deposit in the Yucatan. Sulfer shuts down photosynthesis. It looks like if that asteroid landed anywhere else, the old life might have survived.[/b][/quote]

    Thus why I mentioned the Domino Effect or Chain Reaction if you prefer...

    The Dino's were already over due for a physical adaptation (evolution) to counter the lowering Oxygen levels. Those not having a breathing diaphram didn't survive, and likely also died due to complications of no plant food based creatures to thrive on either.

    I can picture in my mind what kind of impact (pardon the pun) all the firestorms must have had on the oxygen level initially due to combustion conversion, and then a lot lower population of plants to scrub the atmosphere a little later.

    The chain is only as strong as the weakest link, and it only took a 6 mile wide stone with perfect timing to break it.
  • RhettRhett (Not even a monkey)
    [quote]Originally posted by Biggles:
    [b] The annoying thing with that is that shooting nukes at it won't make much difference to the radiation level in space, because the place is flooded with radiation already. But the greens wouldn't accept that at all.

    [/b][/quote]

    The Greens wont accept that nukes are going to be here for the next 100+ years. You cant deinvent something. Might as well put them to use in some positive way...
  • CanuckCanuck Ranger
    Greens?
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Environmentalist fanatics (ie not people who care for the environment, but people who take it too far and say we must go back to living in caves to minimise impact. Ok, maybe not that far but you get the idea).

    [quote]Originally posted by rhett:
    [b] The Greens wont accept that nukes are going to be here for the next 100+ years. You cant deinvent something. Might as well put them to use in some positive way...[/b][/quote]

    At least this way we'd get rid of a few of the accumulated ones in a productive way.

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    [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Never eat anything bigger than your own head.[/url]
    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • WarbleWarble Ranger
    [quote]Originally posted by Biggles:
    [b]Environmentalist fanatics (ie not people who care for the environment, but people who take it too far and say we must go back to living in caves to minimise impact. Ok, maybe not that far but you get the idea).

    [/b][/quote]


    Actually those are the kinds of policies McGillicudy Serious had, like rupping up the roads and planting trees!

    YAY TREES !
  • Falcon1Falcon1 Elite Ranger
    To hell with this, I'm moving to the moon. At least I'll have a good frontseat view. Anyone wanna join me? Bring popcorn if you can. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]

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    'The future is all around us' G'kar
    'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen

    Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://www.nialb5.com"]www.NialB5.com[/url].
  • WHY_oldWHY_old Elite Ranger
    Any plans fort a sev\cret laser-equipped moonbase ?
  • HofnarHofnar Ranger
    Damn. Gotta start hoarding supplies, bullets and stuff like that. Where should I build my [i]The Fortress of Humankind's Last Hope[/i]?
    That's gonna be a huge partyplace... you know, after the end of the world, it's gonna be the ONLY one [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]

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    This is not a subliminal message. Keep walking. Thank you for not noticing.
  • RhettRhett (Not even a monkey)
    [quote]Originally posted by WHY:
    [b]Any plans fort a sev\cret laser-equipped moonbase ?[/b][/quote]

    Thats a good idea. Then we could threaten Sierra with our "laser beam" and order them to go to hell. Burn baby burn!
  • C_MonC_Mon A Genuine Sucker
    GREEEEEENNNN!!!
  • JackNJackN <font color=#99FF99>Lightwave Alien</font>
    If people spent as much energy planting trees, as they do bitching about everything under the sun. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad.

    Deforestation is a serious thing. I applaud those individuals and companies who replant after construction or whatever.

    Everyone is breathing air processed from those trees and plants.

    [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    Why do you think I bought and planted a couple of redwoods in my back yard ;D .
  • KeyanKeyan Ranger
    [url="http://www.msnbc.com/news/750150.asp?0bl=-0"]http://www.msnbc.com/news/750150.asp?0bl=-0[/url]

    Maybe next time guys [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Jack: You should come see Auckland. In the older parts (like from the 50s), the houses are buried amongst trees. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img] Of course, the newer parts are horribly treeless.

    [quote]Originally posted by Warble:
    [b]
    Actually those are the kinds of policies McGillicudy Serious had, like rupping up the roads and planting trees!

    YAY TREES ![/b][/quote]

    Yeah, but at least they weren't serious about it. If only they were still around. I probably would have voted for them on Saturday. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]

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    [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Never eat anything bigger than your own head.[/url]
    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • CiberCiber Earthforce Officer
    -=50 Megatons of power=-
  • Drazi GuyDrazi Guy Elite Ranger
    I live in a semi-major Canadian city, and we have tonnes of trees here. Every front boulevard has at least one, most backyards have two or three. Our streets look beautiful. Got lots of forested area as well...

    Can't imagine living somewhere that you cannot look up and see a tree.
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