Isn't it possible for a peice of the Dumbell Size Asteroid coming apart striking earth? who knows maybe it will strike Mecca?
There is a movie of the astroid going by on www.spaceweather.com
I'm wearing clean underwear tomorrow.
If an asteroid like this does hit us, then all this worrying will have done us no good at all because we will all be dead.
Its all Bush's fault. Somehow global warming will pull it closer... I can see the next MoveOn ad.
This could be a description of the Kerry campaign.
Seeing as we're less than 4 years into the century, why not rephrase this as:
"The rumors are likely rooted in a real event, however. On Sept. 29, 2004 an asteroid the size of a small city will make the closest known pass of such a very large space rock in the last 4 years."?
Gee only 3/4 of the way through the fourth year of the Twenty First Century, and they are already spouting this phrase, as if they can read the future so very well.
It is the ones they don't know about that need to be worried over.
On Sept. 29, backyard skywatchers on Earth can find Toutatis, providing they know where to look.
But, you, oh Omniscient Writer, will keep that a secret from the Lowly Reader.
Ordinary binoculars should be sufficient for spotting it if the sky is clear and dark,
But, since the moon was full last night, not much chance of that, now is there?
Ostro points out a simple relationship between the distance of Toutatis at this close approach and the size of the Moon. Toutatis will be four times farther than the Moon; the Moon is about ¼ the size of Earth.
Makes me wonder what the relative brightness would be of Luna vs Terra from that sucker???????
Guess I better toddle over to Sky & Telescope....
A few months ago NASA was about to warn Bush that an asteroid was on a course that if changed by 1 degree would hit earth. They had planned in suggesting A Bomb Missles to go against if if the course changed. It did not.
Geologist have mentioned California for a near future quake. Vesuvius, Etna, Hiwaii, Helens and the national park in Colorado/Nevada as locations for eruptions
It can't come soon enough for me....
Toutatis, officially numbered 4179, was discovered by French astronomers in 1989. The French probably surrendered on the spot, so if it's going to hit the Earth, it will hit France. Talk about a wine press. |
I wonder what kind of damage an impact of that size would do. If there were ever an impact it most likely would hit in the Atlantic or Pacific. Lot's of dead fish, that's for sure.