Possible asteroid impact 2036

[Kärnfysikern]

http://www.space.com/news/051103_asteroid_apophis.html

Better begin to dig bunkers

[eGGz]

"1,000 feet (320 meters) in diameter" That's a little one. Some day there will be a really big one and it will all be over.

[Kärnfysikern]

320 meters is enough to put a big dent in any country it hits. I read that the blast from the impact of this one would be about 800megaton. The biggest explosion in recorded history was the krakatoa volcano and that one was "only" 200 megaton.

If it hits water say goodbye to every costline of that ocean.

[Kärnfysikern]

16 times more powerfull than the biggest man made explosion ever(the tzar hydrogen bomb).

[QuieTSToRM33]

we'll just blast it b4 it gets near us

[eGGz]

we'll just blast it b4 it gets near us

That only happens in the movies.

A 800 megaton blast won't end all life as we know it. An asteroid the size of texas that comes screaming in at 25,000 mph will.

[QuieTSToRM33]

That only happens in the movies.

A 800 megaton blast won't end all life as we know it. An asteroid the size of texas that comes screaming in at 25,000 mph will.

ur tellin me that in 30 yrs we wont have a weapon capable of taking out an asteroid ???

[Benches505]

That only happens in the movies.

A 800 megaton blast won't end all life as we know it. An asteroid the size of texas that comes screaming in at 25,000 mph will.

One just 7 or 8 miles across would end most of the life on this planet.

[Flexor]

One just 7 or 8 miles across would end most of the life on this planet.

Correct. Everyone is failing to take into account the dust veil effect.

I thought the biggest ever explosion was a Russian hydrogen bomb at 200MT that's obviously wrong though. I'm not sure where I heard that.

I know of a few others, Mike for example, something like 10MT...

[BeerBaron]

cool, they should definitly radio track its trajectory first to establish if it is infact a threat as mentioned. Then I would want to probe that sucker to see what we are de****g with. Could be a cosmic dust bunny, could be rock and metal.

[Psychotron]

Cool, I could go for a mini-ice age, i need my snowmobiling fix, sick of this bullshit global warming.

[Booz]

nice one this gives us somethin to think on!

[Flexor]

Most 20 year olds will be dead in 30 years by the time this happens. They will be dying from liver failure, aids, shit like that.

[IronReload04]

we'll just blast it b4 it gets near us

its possible that if we blast it gravity could pull the pieces back together making it one again. that is hot topic and debate supposedly right now

[IronReload04]

i just hope i get to do my first cycle before the planet is wiped out by an asteroid

[spywizard]

naw, i'll already be dead.. but thanks for looking out for us

[decadbal]

well i honstly hope i outlive you all.... i get to see the asteroid as it approaches, then ill glance around and shoot whoever i dont like... then wait it out

[eGGz]

ur tellin me that in 30 yrs we wont have a weapon capable of taking out an asteroid ???

Maybe we will. What if one comes along next year? We only have a small percentage of the earth crossing objects mapped. Every once and a while one comes along that no one saw comming.

[IronReload04]

well i honstly hope i outlive you all.... i get to see the asteroid as it approaches, then ill glance around and shoot whoever i dont like... then wait it out

ahh, nice to have some nice chuckels on a monday. lol

[MatrixGuy]

It'll be ok..... i'll just get Booz to eat it.

Seriously though. It probably will never nit... if it does, it does.

[aadrenaline]

ahh didn't they say we were going to get hit by a big one in 2003?
like some huge one? i dont remember dying..lol
says clearly in the article that it would cause no global havoc but local damage! its like a pebble anyway lol

[StoneGRMI]

Ever seen that episode of the Simpsons where the astroid was headed straight for Springfield then by the time it went through the atmopshere it was the size of a golf ball? Thats probably whats going to happen...

[thegodfather]

800 megatons sounds small, when its not hitting within 500 miles of you. However, I dont think it sounds that small if it lands in your backyard...Im sure spending all that money to only save a few million peoples lives sounds stupid in the big scheme of things (6 billion people on earth, few million dead, big deal). But I'd rather it not be me, and I'm sure theres 5,999,999,999 other people who most likely feel the same way, maybe a little less if you count the freaks who like to castrate themselves, drink the cool-aid, and catch a ride on the comet.

In any case, if it is on a collision course, I think they should take the opportunity to try and deflect it, so as to save lives and to learn how to deflect future larger ones. Sort of like training for the real deal.

[Carlos_E]

The new working theory is to use a satellite to focus sunlight onto the asteroid. The heat would boil away a section of the asteroid. The release of energy over time would push the asteroid off course. We already have the technology to do this.

Am I'm the only geek on here who watches the science channel?

[BajanBastard]

Forget that! I have an underground bunker, send me a pic of all your hot sisters of breeding age.

[timvds]

Yeah I can sum up that article real quick. "Theres a big rock out there, it might hit us, it might not. Stay tuned for the next 30 years for updates."

[Kärnfysikern]

Correct. Everyone is failing to take into account the dust veil effect.

I thought the biggest ever explosion was a Russian hydrogen bomb at 200MT that's obviously wrong though. I'm not sure where I heard that.

I know of a few others, Mike for example, something like 10MT...

The biggest was the russian tzar bomb. It was built to be able to yield 100 megaton but they only test blasted it at 50megaton.

[Kärnfysikern]

ur tellin me that in 30 yrs we wont have a weapon capable of taking out an asteroid ???

Just blasting it isnt a option. It could make the situation worse. A bunch of small asteroids is way worse then one big(same reason they use multiple small warheads on nukes instead of one big).

Just gently pushing it out of collision course is the way. Like carlos said with the sunlight reflecting satellite or another option. You realy dont need much thrust at all. Just a small ammount of thrust over a period of several months.

[Kärnfysikern]

The new working theory is to use a satellite to focus sunlight onto the asteroid. The heat would boil away a section of the asteroid. The release of energy over time would push the asteroid off course. We already have the technology to do this.

Am I'm the only geek on here who watches the science channel?

Nope or well only science channel I have is discovery

[Kärnfysikern]

800 megatons sounds small, when its not hitting within 500 miles of you. However, I dont think it sounds that small if it lands in your backyard...Im sure spending all that money to only save a few million peoples lives sounds stupid in the big scheme of things (6 billion people on earth, few million dead, big deal). But I'd rather it not be me, and I'm sure theres 5,999,999,999 other people who most likely feel the same way, maybe a little less if you count the freaks who like to castrate themselves, drink the cool-aid, and catch a ride on the comet.

In any case, if it is on a collision course, I think they should take the opportunity to try and deflect it, so as to save lives and to learn how to deflect future larger ones. Sort of like training for the real deal.

Exactly. Krakatoa was incredibly destructive and this one could be 4 times as bad. Just imagine all the shit it will throw up into the atmosphere. A big vulcano can because of all the dust it spews out lower the earth temp by a few degrees. This could be way worse.

Not a life ending event no but surely a country killer. Imagine a hit on a very populated country.

[Carlos_E]

Nope or well only science channel I have is discovery

Science channel is a discovery channel except they focus more on technology and space. I love it.

[eGGz]

The new working theory is to use a satellite to focus sunlight onto the asteroid. The heat would boil away a section of the asteroid. The release of energy over time would push the asteroid off course. We already have the technology to do this.

Am I'm the only geek on here who watches the science channel?

It would be plausable to "boil away" a section of a comet (mostly ice). Asteroids are mostly rock and some are mostly iron. Probably not enough focused energy available to vaporize enough of an asteroid to significantly alter its course.
We may have the technology on paper but we do not currently have the technology in place which could take years to implement.

[Warrior]

In 30 years, Nanotechnology will turn the asteroid into a ball of old clothes...

[Carlos_E]

We may have the technology on paper but we do not currently have the technology in place which could take years to implement.

There was a show on science channel about this. The same material that is used to refocus light for satellite telescopes could be used like a magnifying glass to refocus light to push an asteroid off course.

[eGGz]

There was a show on science channel about this. The same material that is used to refocus light for satellite telescopes could be used like a magnifying glass to refocus light to push an asteroid off course.

That sounds good, I hope it works, incase we need it. Death from an asteroid impact could be particularly nasty. Especially once the impact debris begins to fall back to earth on fire. In essence raining lava.

[Carlos_E]

That sounds good, I hope it works, incase we need it. Death from an asteroid impact could be particularly nasty. Especially once the impact debris begins to fall back to earth on fire. In essence raining lava.

That, earth quakes, tsunamis, changes in global temp and weather patterns and so on.

[decadbal]

it would still be better than dying in a retirement home in a puddle of your own making

[Carlos_E]

it would still be better than dying in a retirement home in a puddle of your own making

Missed you to

[Hard Head]

[Carlos_E]

Here you go