Get ready: Tiny asteroid to give Earth a close shave

nbcnews.com ^ | September 18, 2013 | Miriam Kramer, Space.com

[John W]

A small asteroid first discovered last week will whiz by Earth Wednesday, zipping closer than the orbit of the moon.

The diminutive space rock, named 2013 RZ53, poses no threat to Earth. At just 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 meters) in diameter, the asteroid would burn up in Earth's atmosphere if it got on a collision course with the planet, scientists say.

2013 RZ53 will not strike Earth on this pass, however. The asteroid will miss the planet by more than 148,000 miles (230,800 kilometers) when it makes its closest approach today at 6:20 p.m. EDT.

[Charles Martel]

Yes, and then the Russians will launch.

[Teacher317]

Any odds it will hit DC?
The only way we'd get that lucky is Divine Intervention.

I have said numerous times that had the other two planes succeeded in hitting the White House and Capitol buildings, and the WTC planes had missed their targets, we would not be nearly as angry with the Islamists.

[NonValueAdded]

Small



Asteroid



Whizz by



on Wed.



Burma
Shave

[rrrod]

Hope it doesnt hit any Red states.......

[GOPJ]

It is amazing that we can track the orbit of an object that small. But we cannot rtack a moving mass of over 12 million illegal invaders.

Yeah, but on the lighter brighter side the NSA knows you skipped breakfast this morning - and they're not happy about it.

[jmacusa]

A meteor about one hundred feet, nickel or iron, traveling at 18 to 20 miles a second, allowing for roughly fifty of burn off striking a major city wouldn't obliterate it but it would be a pretty bad day none the less. Anything larger, well,it's would be bad indeed.

[Resolute Conservative]

What is scarier is that you know that... are you NSA? I know, you can’t tell me.

[mj81]

Imagine what a couple really big ones could do...
http://www.threeimpacts-twoevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Geologic-Sensemaking-Simultaneous-Impacts-10May2013.pdf

[Whenifhow]

FYI

[BwanaNdege]

I’ll get back to you on that one.

Do you need bigger Dura-Cells in your calculator to compute the Kinetic Energy of a 50 footer?

(:-)

[hadaclueonce]

’ a chill wind runs thru the tidal basin ‘ Ask not for whom the sky glows .. It glows for thee

Wow. I just got a chill. Thank you.

[dfwgator]

“Where’s the Ka-Boom? There was supposed to be an Earth-Shattering Ka-Boom.”

[henkster]

Nah, don’t need a calculator. That’s why I sent my kids to Purdue.

[NormsRevenge]

Life is an E ticket ride. Enjoy!

[NormsRevenge]

I get a kick out of those videos showing Hugh fireballs as large chunks of stuff blaze across the sky, some to hurtle back into space, others to eventually succumb to Earth’s suck uhhhh pull effect.. I’ve been fortunate to see a few pretty good streaks across the sky..