[rmlew]

Time to send a probe to check out the satelite. If feasable, we should alter its path so that it hits the sun. A few kilotons at the right place should do this.

[07055]

2019?

I guess it's never too soon to start panicking.

[gitmo]

That does it. I'm moving.

[meyer]

Its probably already being called "The Bush Rock" in some circles.

[southern rock]

A preliminary orbit suggests that 2002 NT7 is on an impact course with Earth on 1 February 2019, although the uncertainties are large.

Looks like 2018 is the year to max out your credit cards.

[mdittmar]

I knew this would happen dammit,the same year I will retire and travel in the RV playing all those golf courses from Ca.to Fl.

Damn the luck;)

[Brett66]

NASA has talked of doing 100-day human-class missions after the ISS is completed. This one would probably be high on their list to send some astronauts to. The timing is about right.

[txhurl]

The Mayans said it'd be 2012, so it may be 10 years.

[KC Burke]

The SITE HERE that covers Near Earth Events has all you would ever want to know about the math and science involved.

[Young Werther]

"...cause global climate changes."

Quick, launch AlBlow to intercept and destroy this Republican menace.

[Mannaggia l'America]

I hope this news doesn't cause the stock market go down...

[Young Werther]

BTW, if this a a metallic asteroid we might want to try and capture it. Werner von Braun wrote a book in the early 50s that suggested that a one mile diameter asteroid if it contained the same composition of iron ore and nickle as meteors that have struck the world and been analyzed, then it would have sufficent ore to provide 500 years of stainless steel.

Since 2019 is the 50th anniversary of the Apollo landing maybe we could set this program as a long range goal for NASA and space commericalization al la Dr. Gerald O'Neills "High Frontier"

[uncbob]

Wonder what this will do to the markets

[RonF]

Here's information about another Near Earth Object (NEO). You're going to see more and more notices about these, as we are now looking for them much more systematically than before. Click on the link inside the above link on the NEO that passed within about a 1/3 of the distance to the Moon a couple of weeks ago, and wasn't seen until after it passed the Earth. About a Km across, too.

By the way, blasting one of these things with a nuclear device isn't nearly as easy as it sounds, would need a very big device, and would more likely convert it from a single bullet to a radioactive shotgun blast, rather than make it miss entirely.

Read the literature about NEO's. We are NOT prepared to deal with an NEO that shows up on a collision course a few weeks prior to impact.

[Jay W]

The year is 2019...

"Mr. Chekov, aim phasers at asteroid."

"Phasars aimed, Keptin'."

"Fire phasers." (phasers fire).

"Spock, what effect?"

"The asteroid has been obliterated, Captain, however, sensors reveal that a Klingon warship has just dropped out of warp near Saturn."

[JmyBryan]

Maybe the Demo rats will pass a law making this sort of thing illegal.

[Consort]

2002 NT7 is my laptop operating system.

[Consort]

Klingon Empire Flags

[rwfromkansas]

"Although astronomers are saying the object definitely merits attention, they expect more observations to show it is not on an Earth-intersecting trajectory."

Translation: We are really scared out of our pants and are hoping against hope that future data shows a course directly attacking Earth is incorrect.

[Momaw Nadon]

Asteroid 2002 NT7 is currently just a 1 on the Torino Scale. There's nothing to worry about here.