New asteroid at top of Earth-threat list

New Scientist Space ^ | 03/01/06 | Kimm Groshong

[KevinDavis]

Observations by astronomers tracking near-Earth asteroids have raised a new object to the top of the Earth-threat list.

The asteroid could strike the Earth in 2102. However, Don Yeomans, manager of NASA's Near Earth Object Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, US, told New Scientist: "The most likely situation, by far, is that additional observations will bring it back down to a zero."

He adds: "We're more likely to be hit between now and then by an object that we don't know about."

On 23 February, new observations allowed researchers to more accurately calculate the orbit of the asteroid, named 2004 VD17, which was originally detected by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's LINEAR project. Since the improvement did not rule out a potential collision with the Earth on 4 May 2102, they increased the asteroid's rating to level 2 on the Torino Scale, a relatively rare event.

[KevinDavis]

I'm scared.....

[KevinDavis]

[null and void]

I'm scared.....

Bush's fault...

[gathersnomoss]

Ruh, roh Rorge.

[demlosers]

Keep 'm coming Kevin, I do like Space Pings... :)

[gathersnomoss]

I should have my house paid off by then.

[tet68]

Bush's fault......

Investigations! We need investigations, either he has known
about this or he hasn't, both of which are criminaL and he
should be Chimpeached!!!

Isn't there an honest Democrat congressman who will call
for Chimpeachment???

/sarc

[airborne]

We're more likely to be hit between now and then by an object that we don't know about."

Oh, yeah. That makes me feel much better.

[Delta 21]

I'll be 138 years old. HaH! Bring it on!

[null and void]

I'll just be retiring. Figures.

[Billthedrill]

I'll be 150 and still in the prime of life. You think a second layer of composite on the roof will be enough?

[PoorMuttly]

I installed a trampoline up there. They'll think twice before dropping another one of those on me.

[SkyDancer]

Yahoo News reported a while back where this mass of asteroids were going to smack earth in 2010 ... sort of like a giant shotgun of double-ought that would cream us ...

[steveo]

we'll all probably die with something sooner or later,

[SunkenCiv]

Kaboom, kaboom.

[Heatseeker]

I refuse to accept such a fate. I'm settling for nothing less than a nearby supernova explosion.

[SunkenCiv]

"The most likely situation, by far, is that additional observations will bring it back down to a zero."

What a relief.

[miliantnutcase]

Were all gonna die ping!

[KevinDavis]

Well we do have a stargate...

[RightWhale]

If they wanted us to run around in circles waving arms and shrieking like moonbats they could have changed the name from 2004 VD17 to 2004 Dubai Ports.