Asteroid passes just 8,700miles from Earth ? with only 15 hours warning

[DVTimes]

Although no one noticed at the time, the Earth was almost hit by an asteroid last Friday.

The previously undiscovered asteroid came within 8,700miles of Earth but astronomers noticed it only 15 hours before it made its closest approach.

Its orbit brought it 30 times nearer than the Moon, which is 250,000 miles away.

Astronomers believe the object, called 2009 VA, would have almost completely burned up while entering Earth?s atmosphere, causing a brilliant fireball in the sky but no major damage to the surface.

The asteroid was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey on November 6, 2009. It was then identified by the Minor Planet Centre in Cambridge, Massachusetts as a near Earth object.

Nasa?s Near Earth Object Programme plotted the orbit of the object and determined that although it would fly extremely close to our planet it wouldn?t hit us.

It was the third-closest known (non-impacting) Earth approach on record for a cataloged asteroid.

The Nasa NEO programme aims to detect and track at least 90 per cent of the 1,000 asteroids and comets that approach Earth and are larger than 0.6miles in diameter, by 2020.

They monitored a 100ft asteroid that whizzed 45,000 miles above the Earth?s surface on March 2 this year. A similar sized object slammed into Tunguska, Siberia in 1908. The impact created a blast so powerful it levelled 1,200 square miles of forest.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...s-warning.html

[Pleasurepays]

no one notices an asteroid that would have burned up completely in the atmosphere and not impact the surface?

thats some stunning shit right there. i imagine they will be really thrilled to find that meteorites actually do hit the surface all the time. they'll have news for years.

btw... thats also not what happened in Tunguska.. there was no impact as the article says.

[PR_Sebas]

When the one that destroys us comes we'll have even less warning.

[NBBCash Matze]

damn 15hours wouldn't be enough for Bruce Willis to destroy it before collision or ? The movie would be great if there wouldn't the guy in ot called Ben Affleck.
Also didn't noticed the third-closest known (non-impacting).

[Zorgman]

Can't wait to start life again. I want to come back as a pest.. oh way... too late :D

[quantum-x]

It was 7m diameter. Not exactly problematic.

[fatfoo]

Originally Posted by allanuk

They monitored a 100ft asteroid that whizzed 45,000 miles above the Earth?s surface on March 2 this year. A similar sized object slammed into Tunguska, Siberia in 1908. The impact created a blast so powerful it levelled 1,200 square miles of forest.

Wow.. That's a big blast.

[DVTimes]

Originally Posted by fatfoo

Wow.. That's a big blast.

yes

scary stuff

[Serial Pervert]

That's really true? I didn't noticed it! .__.

[PR_Glen]

Originally Posted by NwSebas

When the one that destroys us comes we'll have even less warning.

don't hold your breath...

[WebairMetz]

2012 the predicted comet by the mayans will have all of earth on pins and needles

[NBBCash Matze]

Originally Posted by WebairMetz

2012 the predicted comet by the mayans will have all of earth on pins and needles

can't wait to see this new emerich movie!

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by NBBCash Matze

damn 15hours wouldn't be enough for Bruce Willis to destroy it before collision

[quantum-x]

Originally Posted by WebairMetz

2012 the predicted comet by the mayans will have all of earth on pins and needles

Problem is, we (being the Non-Mayans) deciphered their calendar incorrectly.
The correct date is 2220.

Source: http://science.slashdot.org/story/09...ndar-Ends-2220

[CaptainHowdy]

Originally Posted by quantum-x

The correct date is 2220.

... And we thought we would be so privileged of witnessing the world's end .

[quantum-x]

Originally Posted by CaptainHowdy

... And we thought we would be so privileged of witnessing the world's end .

I know, right? Like every generation before us ;)

Still we have the LHC ;)

[seeandsee]

looks like nasa dont know nothing...

[BradM]

I don't know why everyone is so afraid of the end of the world. The Bible predicts it anyway. Shouldn't anyone who believes in a God be EXCITED?

[Persius]

Crazy... just crazy

[JP-pornshooter]

last time a big one hit, the place was transformed into a year long winter paradise..

[After Shock Media]

Originally Posted by seeandsee

looks like nasa dont know nothing...

Why? They are focusing in on and charting objects bigger than a certain size that may come close to earth. They have zero interest in any rocks that would burn up in the sky. The unit doing the cataloging has no interest in small objects, even if they could rip up some equipment in orbit.

Originally Posted by Persius

Crazy... just crazy

Again why? Would not of even been that crazy if it did collide with earth. Actually could of been a very nice show depending on which side of the planet gets to view it. I would feel pretty cheated if it hit the other side of the planet.

We want them to stay focused on BIG N.E.O.'s not small ones. Though it is very funny that there are less people "at" NASA working and assigned to this than say would be required to keep an average McDonald's operational. Thankfully there are a shit load of armchair astronomers out there helping from home.

[LiveDose]

Wheeeeeewie!

[baddog]

What would be gained by knowing a week or two ahead of time? Panic?

Best to keep those things quiet, nothing you could do about it anyway.

[San]

i sale cheap asteroids

[After Shock Media]

Originally Posted by baddog

What would be gained by knowing a week or two ahead of time? Panic?

Best to keep those things quiet, nothing you could do about it anyway.

That is true too.

[CaptainHowdy]

Originally Posted by San

i sale cheap asteroids

I'll take two...

[Meeper]

Originally Posted by baddog

What would be gained by knowing a week or two ahead of time? Panic?

Best to keep those things quiet, nothing you could do about it anyway.

bingo!

[Danny B]

Originally Posted by NwSebas

When the one that destroys us comes we'll have even less warning.

Originally Posted by baddog

What would be gained by knowing a week or two ahead of time? Panic?

Best to keep those things quiet, nothing you could do about it anyway.

Yeah I'd rather just be minding my own business and get caught by surprise.
Walking around for 2 weeks knowing you're going to die and there's nothing you can do doesn't really appeal to me. You'll have the whole world sitting on death row without bars. I can only imagine how that's going to work out. Having nothing to lose and all, people will go bzrk.

[baddog]

Originally Posted by Danny B

You'll have the whole world sitting on death row without bars. I can only imagine how that's going to work out. Having nothing to lose and all, people will go bzrk.

When you put it that way . . .

[DatingGold]

lets hope when the big one comes it just finishes us off. fuck a slow death

[After Shock Media]

Originally Posted by Danny B

Yeah I'd rather just be minding my own business and get caught by surprise.
Walking around for 2 weeks knowing you're going to die and there's nothing you can do doesn't really appeal to me. You'll have the whole world sitting on death row without bars. I can only imagine how that's going to work out. Having nothing to lose and all, people will go bzrk.

Well odds are at least half of the planet will see it coming.
Then we would also get massive warnings spread via the internet and possibly TV if outlets reported on internet buzz. Since there are a boat load of closet and hobbiest astronomers who stare at the night sky trying to discover stuff each evening. Unless they all suddenly get compassionate about the public panic and also selfish about self preservation so that none of them spread the information and they all gather mass supplies and head to a possible safe zone.

interesting story!

[Nicky]

Let me know when a big one actually hit's the atmosphere.

[2MuchMark]

Originally Posted by quantum-x

I know, right? Like every generation before us ;)

Still we have the LHC ;)

Don't worry, we're safe. Or maybe not.

[cherrylula]

"8,700miles of Earth"

whew! close call

[Farang]

Missed again? Damn...

[CyberHustler]

I hope I'm having sex at the moment the earth ends...

[LoveSandra]

Originally Posted by Zorgman

Can't wait to start life again. I want to come back as a pest.. oh way... too late :D

:1org laugh

[tranza]

Damn, that is crazy!

[JP-pornshooter]

Originally Posted by CyberHustler

I hope I'm having sex at the moment the earth ends...

wow talk about a coincidence and statistical possibility that would happen during that special 17 seconds of every saturday or on most wednesdays..

[Jimmy Rock]

Originally Posted by NBBCash Matze

damn 15hours wouldn't be enough for Bruce Willis to destroy it before collision or ? The movie would be great if there wouldn't the guy in ot called Ben Affleck.
Also didn't noticed the third-closest known (non-impacting).

[mikesinner]

Anything big enough to cause any serious damage will be picked up right away.

[AsianDivaGirlsWebDude]

Originally Posted by allanuk

A similar sized object slammed into Tunguska, Siberia in 1908. The impact created a blast so powerful it levelled 1,200 square miles of forest.

The Tunguska Event was a powerful explosion that occurred in an uninhabited and desolate area near the Tunguska River in Russia, on June 30, 1908.

Although the cause of the explosion is the subject of debate, it is commonly believed to have been caused by the explosion of a large meteoroid or comet fragment, occurring the in Earth's atmosphere about 5?10 kilometers (3?6 miles) high.

The blast flattened an estimated 60 million trees over 2,150 square kilometers, but no "smoking gun" meteorite has ever been found. Different studies have yielded varying estimates of the object's size, but there is general agreement that it was a few tens of meters across.

ADG

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by Pleasurepays

no one notices an asteroid that would have burned up completely in the atmosphere and not impact the surface?

thats some stunning shit right there. i imagine they will be really thrilled to find that meteorites actually do hit the surface all the time. they'll have news for years.

btw... thats also not what happened in Tunguska.. there was no impact as the article says.

what is the Tunguska event then? they classified it as an impact even tho it was an aerial explosion