Asteroid Discussion Thread (6023 days to impact)

[Dallas]

A massive asteroid could hit Earth in just 17 years' time, destroying life as we know it, a British space expert said on July 24, 2002. The asteroid -- the most threatening object ever detected in space -- is 1.2 miles wide and apparently on a direct collision course with Earth. (Reuters Graphic)

[Dallas]

I presume if they know when it's going to impact, they also know where .

Has anyone heard if that information has been released ?

[AngrySpud]

In 17 years time we'll be able to capture it in high orbit and mine it.

[Dallas]

Bruce Willis ?

[flying Elvis]

If all else fails we can send up a team of roughneck deepsea oil drillers to plant a nuke deep inside it. ;)

[RightWhale]

Looks like the northern hemisphere.

[rmmcdaniell]

I presume if they know when it's going to impact, they also know where. Has anyone heard if that information has been released?

Nope, there are not even sure if it will hit earth at all let alone on which continent. This will require more observations and calculations. All they know is that in 2019 it will come very CLOSE to hitting the earth.

[RightWhale]

In 17 years time we'll be able to capture it in high orbit and mine it.

Only if we start 3 years ago.

[B4Ranch]

ping

[cmsgop]

Great Thread. I have told people about this story for a few days and thet didn't believe me. Now they will Rue the day! LOL!

[rmmcdaniell]

In 17 years time we'll be able to capture it in high orbit and mine it.

The environazi's will lobby to maintain the asteroid's pristine environment. But seriously, space technology will have to advance much further and become much cheaper than it has in the past few decades. If the moon were made out of gold, it would cost more to bring the gold back then it would be worth. This asteroid is likely to be made of much cheaper metals like iron and nickel.

[Dallas]

The price of real estate in Australia just went up....

[Brett66]

The odds are 1-60,000 of it hitting the Earth. I believe that makes it significantly riskier than driving a car.

[Vince Ferrer]

They aren't absolutely sure that it will collide yet. They need more time to track its orbit for a more accurate prediction. Because of its odd orbit, it will be most likely to hit one of the poles. At that size, everyone will be affected, no matter where it hits.

[pgkdan]

bump

[Dallas]

LOL....

[Consort]

If we blow up the Earth before the asteroid arrives, we can avoid a collision.

[Bubba_Leroy]

Only after the feds do an environmental impact statement and Earth First finishes litigating over whether we should tamper with nature.

[Dallas]

If that statistic came from NASA, then we should be concerned.....

[boris]

We should rotate the Earth so it lands on Saudi Arabia.

[Dallas]

According to the environmentalist, we all be dead anyway.

So why worry....