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NASA Says “No Chance” Small Asteroid Will Hit Earth On March 5th
universetoday ^ | 02/06/2016 | Matt Williams

Posted on 02/06/2016 10:53:52 AM PST by BenLurkin

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To: PAR35

The NASA NEO uncertainty predictions are made by repeated monte carlo simulations from the best know state of the object, in this case its state on October 9, 2013.

Starting at October 9, 2013, we have an estimate of the state of the object and an estimate of the uncertainty (covariance) of the state.

We make a draw from a process which produces random states with the same mean and covariance as our estimate, and propagate that state forward in time one hundred years into the future and note its closest approaches to earth along the way. We make repeated draws, millions, and use the results of millions of such simulations to characterize the near encounters with earth and the likelihood of a collision with the earth in the next century. (They are only funded to make 100 year predictions, but they publish the state and covariance, so outsiders are welcome to give it a go.)

The technique is thorough, and produces estimates about as good as anything. So they didn’t overlook March 2nd, or 7th or any other day in the next century.


21 posted on 02/06/2016 12:06:53 PM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (Prendre cinq et rendre quatre ce n'est pas donner.)
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To: BenLurkin

A large asteroid, yes. But not a small one.


22 posted on 02/06/2016 12:07:48 PM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets
So they didn't overlook March 2nd, or 7th or any other day in the next century.

I didn't say they overlooked those dates. I said that if you dig through what they said, you can see what they were careful to not say.

But I'm sure you can trust them. After all, they are from the federal government, and the feds would never try to mislead us, would they?

23 posted on 02/06/2016 12:13:31 PM PST by PAR35
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To: steve86

You probably even trust the current pope.


24 posted on 02/06/2016 12:15:05 PM PST by PAR35
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To: BenLurkin

Claim it is part of NASA’s “Muslim outreach.”


25 posted on 02/06/2016 12:15:37 PM PST by The Nerve ("If I admit I am a sock puppet, am I still considered a sock puppet?" ~ponygirl)
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To: PAR35

Look, this is a simple and straightforward scientific/technical endeavor. One of the things I really admire about the NASA NEO center is their adamant refusal to engage in alarmism to fatten their budgets and influence. If they behaved like global warming fanatics, they’d be trumpeting every fireball and meteor strike as our ONE LAST WARNING that TIME IS RUNNING OUT to save the world!!!!

You piss all over them for tamping down alarmism, which they could easily stir up. I admire their intellectual honesty and openness. There’s no secret sauce, no “correcting” the data. The data is in the public domain, anyone can check their results.


26 posted on 02/06/2016 12:29:34 PM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (Prendre cinq et rendre quatre ce n'est pas donner.)
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To: BenLurkin
...will pass Earth at a distance of between 14 million km (9 million) and 17,000 km (11,000 miles)

Boy, that is a heck of a spread.

27 posted on 02/06/2016 12:32:42 PM PST by hattend (Firearms and ammunition...the only growing industries under the Obama regime.)
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To: BenLurkin
Mecca. Please Mecca.

...during the Haj.

28 posted on 02/06/2016 12:33:44 PM PST by hattend (Firearms and ammunition...the only growing industries under the Obama regime.)
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To: Menehune56
11K miles is under the Dish Network satellite.

It better not mess up my TV.

29 posted on 02/06/2016 12:34:49 PM PST by hattend (Firearms and ammunition...the only growing industries under the Obama regime.)
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To: BenLurkin

Oh crap, we’re doomed!


30 posted on 02/06/2016 12:35:42 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: BenLurkin

I had put a sawbuck on it landing on a golf course.


31 posted on 02/06/2016 12:40:27 PM PST by bgill (CDC site, "We still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: hattend

I guess we can just be thankful it’s not doing its flyby on Super Bowl weekend.


32 posted on 02/06/2016 1:24:19 PM PST by Menehune56 ("Let them hate so long as they fear" (Oderint Dum Metuant), Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC))
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To: Menehune56

Go Broncos! :-)


33 posted on 02/06/2016 1:34:44 PM PST by hattend (Firearms and ammunition...the only growing industries under the Obama regime.)
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To: BenLurkin

I am confident they are right. But on the other hand, this is the same agency that became confused over metric vs. imperial measurements and launched Hubble with lenses that produced completely out of focus images. They fixed the problem later on by installing what amounted to glasses, corrective lenses. But whenever NASA makes an announcement it’s worth considering the fact that they’re not perfect.


34 posted on 02/06/2016 1:49:04 PM PST by katana (Just my opinion)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets
OK. "Tracked it for three days three years ago" is considerably different from the article's "been able to track it since its discovery, just three years ago." I could see having a pretty big uncertainty in the first case.
35 posted on 02/06/2016 2:12:59 PM PST by KarlInOhio (An orange jumpsuit is the new black pantsuit.)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets
If they behaved like global warming fanatics...I admire their intellectual honesty and openness.

Good attempt at spin, but they are fully onboard with the 'global warming' scam. So much for 'intellectual honesty' and not behaving like 'global warming fanatics'.

Here's their 'Climate Change' website. http://climate.nasa.gov/

Funding based alarmism here: http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

You can't really expect them to concentrate on space since they are now a climate change and muslim outreach agency. Not a lot of 'right stuff' left since they got rid of the Germans.

36 posted on 02/06/2016 2:21:45 PM PST by PAR35
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To: PAR35

Big difference between climate and space rocks.
Seriously, if you want alarmism related to space, look up bpearthwatch.
He hasn’t been right yet, but some people follow his every flatulent uttering as if it were the word of a god.
Seriously, we aren’t dead from Ison, Elenin, YU55, etc yet.
But he insisted that we would, also insisted that earthquakes were produced by same.
(Lol, plate tectonics fail on his part.)


37 posted on 02/06/2016 3:00:30 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Darksheare
Big difference between climate and space rocks.

Nope, there is either integrity or there isn't. And right now, Nasa is lacking in that department.

38 posted on 02/06/2016 3:56:02 PM PST by PAR35
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To: PAR35

No, orbits can be calculated by anyone who knows the math behind it.
And many thousands of amatuer astronomers would be all over anyone claiming anything outside of the realm of those calculations.
(Goes back to Newton and Kepler. Back when math, science, and discovery meant doing actual work, not putting out ever increasing politically motivated BS.)

Climate alarmism relies more on people not paying attention and not knowing diddly about history, ice ages, or solar output.


39 posted on 02/06/2016 4:02:34 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Darksheare
No, orbits can be calculated by anyone who knows the math behind it.

Is that why NASA is having trouble calculating the orbit of this one?

40 posted on 02/06/2016 4:13:43 PM PST by PAR35
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