[Mr. Silverback]

Whoa.

Half a klick wide.

[FReepaholic]

>>...set up to watch for asteroids in New Mexico...<<

Shouldn't they be watching for asteroids in SPACE, not in New Mexico.

[12B]

Ooops...sorry....I thought this was a Salma Hayek thread.

[.cnI redruM]

Now, if they have a FO on Neptune, we could really be in for it when they adjust fire.

[bonfire]

It kinda makes you wonder just what would Pres. Bush HAVE told us?? What's the plan for an asteroid hit?

[.cnI redruM]

This one is almost a classic. "Asteroid Passes Near Earth. Blame George W. Bush."

[Steve_Seattle]

"January 14 could have been a bad day for George Bush."

These boofers really are obsessed with Bush. Presumably, if an asteroid hit the earth, it would be a bad day for a lot of people other than George Bush, including dainty boy David Adam.

[.cnI redruM]

This one is almost a classic. "Asteroid Passes Near Earth. Blame George W. Bush."

[Steve_Seattle]

500 meters across

If I'm not mistaken, an asteroid anywhere near that size would have a devastating impact, much larger than any atomic weapon and possibly enough to kill millions and disrupt the earth's atmosphere for months or even years.

[weegee]

Astronomers have revealed that during a "nine-hour crisis" the night before Mr Bush's speech they believed there was a one in four chance an asteroid would hit the planet in 36 hours. Had it not been for a break in the clouds that allowed an amateur astronomer to give the all-clear, the scientists say they were on the verge of calling the White House.

This sounds series.

Nothing that the astronomers did averted the asteroid. They were ready to go into full panic mode (A) over something which they had no control and (B) over something that they admittedly had incomplete information regarding.

[Grig]

Man, there have been a LOT of these recently. I think we are in a shooting gallery.

[atomicpossum]

January 14 could have been a bad day for George Bush. As the president was preparing to announce America's return to the moon in a speech at the headquarters of Nasa, he was almost asked to deliver a very different message: that the Earth could suffer a devastating asteroid strike within 24 hours.

'Bad day for Bush?' How would it be worse for him than for any of us? Was the asteroid possibly heading for him in particular? Is this just a very very slanted story, or do news writers just not realize the stupid things they say?

New York Times headline: "World to end tomorrow, Women and Minorities Hardest Hit."

[Jaysun]

The object - named 2004 AS1 - turned out to be around 500 metres across, and passed the Earth at a safe range of about 12m km: some 32 times the distance between the Earth and the moon.

GREAT SCOTT! That thing only missed us by about 7,644,800 miles! It's interesting that an amateur astronomer was able to give the "all-clear." The global warming nonsense has recently been losing steam. Is this the new "crisis" that the left and the UN will demand billions of dollars to study, evaluate, and lie about? They're kooks.

[pabianice]

"A preliminary analysis of the discovery data for this object yielded a possible impact with the Earth in less than two days' time,"

Just enough time to panic, vomit, cry, and kiss your ass goodbye...

[Verginius Rufus]

Why does this paper assume that if an asteroid hits, it will hit the US? Because America, in its view, is uniquely evil?

The surface of the earth is about 200 million square miles, of which 57 million or so are continents. The land area of the US is about 3.5 million square miles. Chances are an asteroid will land in an ocean, or hit some other country. (Something hit Siberia in 1908, maybe an asteroid.)

Of course, that won't stop it from being Bush's fault.

[Hatteras]

"The object - named 2004 AS1 - turned out to be around 500 metres across, and passed the Earth at a safe range of about 12m km"

You know, I thought I felt the wind kick up a little stronger than usual that day...

[LibKill]

Seems to me that all that space travel and nuclear technology might come in handy, IF we prepare now.

Why should we let ourselves be wiped out by a brainless chunk of rock?

[weegee]

If I said you had a heavenly body, would you hold it against me???

[gitmo]

I wonder how many times the President is told he might have to announce something of this magnitude. All the intelligence on terrorists, enemies, information on impending plagues, ...

"Mr President. There's a 50% chance the end of the world in near. We'll know better this afternoon."

"Well, we'll write up a speech. Just let us know by 4:00."

[gnarledmaw]

I paid 157 gazillion for a flying space telescope and no one could spin the damned thing around to take a look?

There are space stations and shuttles and with all the "scientific tools" on board no can find some sort of telescope to look out the frickin window?

Weve spent more on getting a rover to Mars than the GDP of some countries but a planet killer could be missed because clouds obscured some amatuers line of sight?

These people are useless...