Asteroid near-miss, June 14

Space Daily ^ | June 20, 2002

[cogitator]

Does the proposed Department of Homeland Security have an Office of Asteroids?

[r9etb]

But many specialists are worried that little sustained effort is being made to spot smaller space wanderers, which could still unleash the energy of an arsenal of nuclear bombs if they collided with our home.

Translation: Here are a bunch of guys who are lobbying for a lucrative future in asteroid-spotting.

I'm not ignoring the possibility of asteroidal devastation, mind you. But having seen the specialist-driven hoo-raw about not one, but two Leonids meteor showers ("satellites will be destroyed!!!!"), I'm mighty cynical about guys like this.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Sounds like a job for Jessie Ventura...

[Semper Paratus]

Too bad it couldn't have exploede above Mecca.
Now that would be a sign from God!

[RonF]

Say it had exploded above Mecca. Here are some common reactions I see in the Islamic world:

1) "It is a sign from Allah of his displeasure! We have not done enough to carry forth his work among the infidels!"

2) "That was no meteor! The Westerners lie! It was a deliberate attack that was foiled at the last second by Islamic forces. This unprovoked attack is the last straw! Destroy the infidels!"

Both followed by general slaughter.

[www.corvettewave.com]

guys, don't discount this too quickly. this could have been a very devastating event, and one that is sure to happen someday.
i have thought for a long time that a "natural" event such as this is bound to happen just when we least expect it. the scary part is that a good defense is not available. just hope you are not close when a rock this size hits the earth...

[tictoc]

Those Crustaceans are up to no good again. Pitching rocks through hyperspace at Buenos Aires.

Join the Space Corps, See the Universe as a Starship Trooper.

Come On, We've Got Bugs To Fry!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Now that's what I call a close one. Good thing the planet Earth didn't get that new paint job last month.

[Wm Bach]

If it "nearly missed", then it must have hit.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Does the proposed Department of Homeland Security have an Office of Asteroids?

No, but I'm sure they have an office full of hemorroids.

[geege]

My thoughts exactly....yea too bad.....

[kever]

That was pretty funny - that's exactly what they would say!

[Sir Gawain]

Where would it have hit?

[lavaroise]

I believe 36 000 km is geostationary orbit, the highest sattelite orbit, I believe (while CIA sattelites fly at about 50 to 100km). So that is about 3 geo orbits, pretty close indeed

[cogitator]

Where would it have hit?

There's about a 3-in-10 chance it would hit land if it was on track to hit Earth. But since it didn't hit, no one can project where it would have hit.

[lds23]

I sometimes wonder if the apocalyptic predictions (what was it again, December 12 2012 or something) were based on ancient astronomical observations of returning comets. In our short history, we've got a bunch of them on the list.

With all the attention paid to astronomy (e.g., building the pyramids to align with the north star, the Mayan obervatory, Stonehenge, etc.), perhaps they were trying to leave a lasting message to "Hey, look out".

That all for now, I'm going shopping to stock up for the next asteroid:

[cogitator]

But having seen the specialist-driven hoo-raw about not one, but two Leonids meteor showers ("satellites will be destroyed!!!!"),

Well, even if there are a bunch of Leonid sand grains in space, space is still mostly empty. But the Leonids we saw in the last couple of years were not the maximum that the Leonids are capable of. If we had run into the mainstream, satellites would have been in jeopardy. Particularly big ones like the Hubble Space Telescope.

[Salgak]

OTOH, say it had OBLITERATED Mecca. . . imagine the reaction then. . .

[LibWhacker]

Be nice if we could strap rocket boosters to a few dozen of these babies to help guide them to their target whenever one is needed in, say . . . um . . . the muslim world? Then deny, deny, deny. We just have to be careful to conceal the rocket exhaust from any earthbound observer.

If they get uppity and go on a murderous spree as RonF suggests they might, then hit 'em with another one in a particularly sensitive spot.

Will these primitive savages want to take a chance that it's NOT an act of God, especially after "He" hits 'em with four of five big asteroids over a period of a few years in response to their outragously sinful and murderous ways? I doubt it. Don't mess with God.