Massive asteroid impact in 2036?

[Thunder]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/20...certainly-not-smash-into-Earth-say-scientists

“Technically, they’re correct, there is a chance in 2036 [that Apophis will hit Earth]," said Donald Yeomans, head of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program Office. However, that chance is just 1-in-250,000, Yeomans said.

The rock is 200 yards wide. Its a biigy.

darn.....this will be 3 years after my pension has kicked in.

 

[GreyArea]

Try this instead of RIANovosti:

Phil Plait: Repeat after me: Apophis is not a danger!

 

[Duffy Moon]

The rock is 200 yards wide. Its a biigy.

If it was the size of Texas, that would be a biggy.

 

[Mark6]

"1-in-250,000 chance" means "it won't happen".

And before you say "chances of winning lottery are worse than that" -- no they are not, given how many people buy tickets. In fact, it is a near-certainty that SOMEONE wins.

 

[RecoveringYuppy]

If it was the size of Texas, that would be a biggy.

Much smaller than Texas can still cause worldwide devastation. Five miles wide is in the range to cause planet wide effect.

 

[Thunder]

a 200-yard wide asteroid impact will be like a sizable nuclear detonation.

and if it hits the ocean, it would create a massive tsunami that could drown/kill millions across the globe.

 

[elgarak]

If it was the size of Texas, that would be a biggy.

Define size of Texas.

The effects of asteroid impacts are characterized by the mass of the impactor. What's the mass of Texas?

 

[Mark6]

Define size of Texas.

The effects of asteroid impacts are characterized by the mass of the impactor. What's the mass of Texas?

Not sure about mass of Texas, but given the amount of hot air in it, the weight of Texas has got to be negative.

 

[Thunder]

everything's bigger...in Texas.

 

[Duffy Moon]

a 200-yard wide asteroid impact will be like a sizable nuclear detonation.
and if it hits the ocean, it would create a massive tsunami that could drown/kill millions across the globe.

So, basically all the worst parts of the bible?

Define size of Texas.

The effects of asteroid impacts are characterized by the mass of the impactor. What's the mass of Texas?

Billy-Bob Thornton would be the man to ask.

 

[Vorticity]

Define size of Texas.

The effects of asteroid impacts are characterized by the mass of the impactor. What's the mass of Texas?

Well, if we suppose that "Texas" extends to the center of the Earth, and estimate the mass of the volume enclosed by the solid angle subtended... then Texas' mass is about 62% of a Pluto.

 

[Spindrift]

Well, if we suppose that "Texas" extends to the center of the Earth, and estimate the mass of the volume enclosed by the solid angle subtended... then Texas' mass is about 62% of a Pluto.

Texas is way bigger than Pluto.

You can throw in Mickey, Goofy, Donald, Minnie, Daisy, Huey, Dewie, Louie and all seven dwarfs and Texas is still bigger.

 

[patchbunny]

Ok, question time for all the atronomers on the forums.

Why can't we predict whether or not it will hit us? If it swings past every seven years, doesn't that provide more than enough data for us to determine its orbit?

 

[Almo]

"1-in-250,000 chance" means "it won't happen".

And before you say "chances of winning lottery are worse than that" -- no they are not, given how many people buy tickets. In fact, it is a near-certainty that SOMEONE wins.

The chances of ONE person winning a lottery are worse than that. The chances of SOMEONE winning a lottery are not.

Just in case anyone is confused on that.

 

[Xephyr]

I'm stocking up on cans of Spam as we speak...

Spam and eggs
Spam and sausage and eggs
Spam spam and eggs
Spam spam spam sausage and eggs
Spam spam ham and eggs with spam spam and spam

 

[eeyore1954]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/20...certainly-not-smash-into-Earth-say-scientists

“Technically, they’re correct, there is a chance in 2036 [that Apophis will hit Earth]," said Donald Yeomans, head of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program Office. However, that chance is just 1-in-250,000, Yeomans said.

The rock is 200 yards wide. Its a biigy.

darn.....this will be 3 years after my pension has kicked in.

2012 is the end of the world as we know it anyway.

 

[Vorticity]

2012 is the end of the world as we know it anyway.

Right. I mean worst-case scenario, the asteroid simply swishes harmlessly through the empty volume that used to contain the Earth.

 

[BenBurch]

Texas doesn't go to Mass, it's a Baptist.

 

[WildCat]

If it was the size of Texas, that would be a biggy.

What does that even mean "the size of Texas"? How does one measure the mass of Texas? Does it extend all the way to the center of the earth?

 

[NWO Sentryman]

Sealion had better odds of succeeding than this asteroid hitting Earth.