Huge asteroid threatening Earth

AFP ^ | March 03, 2006

[presidio9]

AN asteroid capable of devastating an area the size of a sub-continent has about a one in 1000 risk of hitting Earth early next century, NASA said today.

The rock, 2004 VD17, is about 500m long and has a mass of nearly a billion tonnes.

If it hit Earth it would deliver 10,000 megatonnes of energy, equivalent to all the world's nuclear weapons. Spotted on November 27 2004, VD17 was identified as potentially crossing Earth's orbit, with a one in 3000 risk of collision on May 4, 2102.

Further observations and calculations have prompted the risk on that day to be upgraded to "a bit less than one in 1000", said NASA Near-Earth Object (NEO) expert David Morrison in an emailed circular.

"The risk of an impact within the next century (is) higher than that of any other known asteroid," he said, stressing however that the likelihood of a hit was small.

"Fortunately, it is nearly a century before the close pass from VD17. This should provide ample time to refine the orbit and, most probably, determine that the asteroid will miss the Earth." Collisions by large asteroids or comets are extraordinarily rare, but can be watershed events when they happen.

The reign of the dinosaurs is believed to have ended 65 million years ago by a rock that smashed into the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.

The theory is that the impact kicked up vast clouds of dust that were borne around the globe on high-altitude winds and filtered out light and heat from the sun, inflicting climate change that changed Earth's biodiversity.

[ClearCase_guy]

I hope it hits my neighbor's house. I hate that guy.

[Brilliant]

So I guess this makes global warming moot.

[Political Junkie Too]

Will it breach the levees, or only top them?

-PJ

[presidio9]

Actually, NASA has the situation under control, as long as the flying saucer does not interfere.

[Sax]

The rock, 2004 VD17, is about 500m long

Crap. VD is going to do us all in. It's long, massive and bringing the pain.

[HOTTIEBOY]

Bush's fault



/sarc

[RabidBartender]

"Not Earth! That's where I keep all my stuff!" - The Tick

[theDentist]

Where's Bruce Willis when you need him?

[cheme]

I bet they will revise the odds to something more like 1 in 1,000,000,000.

[freedomson]

I hope it's not too early to wet my pants.

[kerryusama04]

WE_ARE_ALL_GOING_TO_DIE!!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

[mlc9852]

Like we don't already have enough problems!

[RabidBartender]

Actually, NASA has the situation under control, as long as the flying saucer does not interfere.

I don't care who you are, that's funny.

[FormerACLUmember]

Women and minorities will be hardest hit.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Guess Visa isn't going to get that monthly payment afterall.

[Rummyfan]

Paging Bruce Willis!

[GreenAccord]

I hope it hits my neighbor's house. I hate that guy.

I know funny and brother, that is funny.

[Mr. Mojo]

a one in 3000 risk of collision on May 4, 2102.

One in 3000 is "threatening?" Yeah, and I'm "threatening" to win the lotto.

[kerryusama04]

rofl

[Brilliant]

It actually seems pretty small, at 500 meters, but a rock that size can do a lot of damage.

[Tijeras_Slim]

That does it. I'm leaving work early today.

[Hatteras]

[sinwisher]

Where's that "aw jeez, not this sh** again" pic...fits perfectly

[Holicheese]

Is there another Astroid movie coming out this summer? The last time the scientist forgot to carry the 6 when doing their calculations and it actually missed the Earth by a gajillion miles instead of 3 miles like they originally said.

[martin_fierro]

[Revolting cat!]

Women and minorities will be hardest hit.

Thank heavens. The rest of us are safe.

[martin_fierro]

GMTA

(what, read the whole thread before posting? pffft!)

[nuconvert]

We're Dooooomed!


Luckily, I'll be long gone.

[Names Ash Housewares]

"I LIKE those odds!"

Never tell me the odds!

[just me]

I was thinking 'that will take care of global warming.'

[cheme]

Your probably right, its hype for another movie.

[JZelle]

[Termite_Commander]

In all likelihood, when scientists refine their calculations, they'll show the asteroid missing us.

The initial estimates are usually quite crude, and can be way off.

Still, the Mayan Calendar does end in 2012... ;^)

[Hatteras]

"I hope it hits my neighbor's house. I hate that guy."

Does he have a flood light with a motion sensor mounted over his garage that lights up the whole neighborhood when the wind rustles the leaves?

[Paige]

I think Liberals are more of a problem than an asteroid.

[DoctorMichael]

Maybe it'll land on Pakistan or Iran.

[ASA Vet]

The rest of us are safe.

Most of us will be dead by then. Does dead count as safe?

[beltfed308]

So much for global warming.

[presidio9]

Doomed as doomed can be, I must say.

[presidio9]

Doomed as doomed can be, I must say.

[LIConFem]

Reminds me of an old Al Sleet, the Hippy-Dippy Weather Man (George Carlin) bit...

Al: The Radar's pickin' up a line of thunder showers, from 100 miles north, northeast of Jackson Mississippi, to 50 miles south, southwest of Fondulac. But the radar's also pickin' up about 100 Russian ICBM's, so I wouldn't sweat the thunder storms!"

;o)

[Termite_Commander]

[dfwgator]

Morgan Freeman For President!

[PresidentFelon]

LMAO. Now that's funny.

PresidentFelon

[Dick Bachert]

As you read this, Ted Kennedy is drafting legislation to declare the asteroid "illegal."

[Hatteras]

"(what, read the whole thread before posting? pffft!)"

What's the fun in doing that?! ;-)

[paddles]

Yup. And why bother to fix Social Security?

[McGruff]

Don't worry da levees will hold,

but I gotta go right now.