Source: Ask An Astrobiologist
Question:
I've recently heard about the discovery of comet Elenin, which is scheduled to come close to earth around October-November 2011 – Is it possible it will be an extinction level event? AND Comet Elenin: How close to earth will it get? And can we expect it to cause any damage? AND I have read that Russian scientists are now predicting that asteroid Apophis will impact the Earth April 13 2036 causing terrible damage. I understand that the Russians are planning a mission to stop the asteroid.
Answer:
Both Comet Elenin and Asteroid Apophis are real, but these concerns about collisions are without foundation. Unfortunately there are a few popular websites that are known for suggesting multiple catastrophes, including popularizing the 2012 hoax. Two that show up in any search for “Comet Elenin” are godlikeproductions and abovetopsecret, both of which predict either a very close pass by Earth or a collision.
If instead you consult dependable websites like wikipedia and skyandtelescope you will find that Comet Elenin will come nowhere near the Earth. At its closest (on 10 September 2011) it will be more than 25 million km from our planet. There is no mystery about the comet’s path, and it is irresponsible to suggest that it is a threat.
In the past few days another silly rumor has appeared on godlikeproductions. They claim that the comet's discoverer, Russian amateur astronomer Leonid Elenin, does not exist, and the name is a code based on ELE = Extinction Level Event. This is not only wrong but crazy. Do they think that if anyone really wanted to keep this comet secret they would use an obvious code like this to tell us that it was likely to hit Earth? Truly weird! Concerning asteroid Apophis, the report of Russian scientist predictions of an impact is false.
Apparently it is a reworking of issues that scientists were discussing 2-3 years ago, when for a time it was thought that there was a very small chance of a collision with Apophis in 2036, but recent improvements in our knowledge of the orbit now exclude the possibility. This story about a Russian prediction has been repeated so often that NASA actually made a public correction in an interview with JPL scientist Don Yeomans, who leads the NASA Near Earth Object Program Office. The lesson here is to know your sources of information. Wikipedia is almost always accurate, and so are the government NASA and NOAA and Geologic Survey websites.
In contrast, there are many conspiracy theory websites that are usually misleading or wrong. Please try to learn the difference so you won’t get upset or worried over nothing.
February 17, 2011
Wonder how that astrophysicist would explain the ‘rolling tracks’ photographed on the surface of asteroids? Wonder if he believes comets have companion moonlets as Hale-Bopp was found to have?
I see the problem as this:
First, the politicization of science, especially Hansen's lunacy about AGW, has seriously damaged the credibility of the agency in the public eye.
Second, the expectation that the government will lie to the people has serious traction among the general public--they expect it.
Third, the actions of the current administration in regards the economy, etc. are not only not long-term solutions, but have every appearance of devil-take-the-hindmost looting.
With all that meme assembled in the mind of a large number of folks and the constant apocalyptic scenario bombardment of the (predominantly scientifically illiterate) people by pop 'science' media, the tendency for people to believe an ELE or lesser but serious event is on the horizon is common.
To those pushing the meme, science is irrelevant, they're selling soap.
Dependable website Wikipedia? Give me a break. You would think that with this comet’s ever changing path this would be covered extensively by the media...which it hasn’t. Nor have they mentioned it at all.