Surprise Asteroid makes near miss of Earth

[archer]

Hmm, we might need a current news forum.
-------------------
From http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,503164,00.html

A small asteroid buzzed by Earth Monday, though only real astronomy geeks in the Pacific would have noticed.

(please click link for full article - post was edited by Alpha Mike, in accordance with DMCA rules and regulations)

[BigDanInTX]

Hmm, we might need a current news forum.

I had considered this.  Typically, all "news" has been rolled in to political news.  Regular news could be useful...

Done.

[Hraz]

I just received my copy of Lucifer's hammer. How timely.

[archer]

I just received my copy of Lucifer's hammer. How timely.

Quite timely...

[ColdHaven]

And it all comes full circle for me.  

Well, from the article I read it should not hit us for another century. So, we have some time. However, according to CNN, the government is tracking a lot of these things and are trying to keep an eye out.

Asteroid passes close to Earth

(CNN) -- You had a close encounter with a 40-yard-wide asteroid this week, but the astronomer who first spotted the large rock said it's nothing to worry about.


An asteroid (inside circle) passed within 38,000 miles of Earth on Monday.

 (please click link for full article - post was edited by Alpha Mike, in accordance with DMCA rules and regulations)

[BigDanInTX]

I just received my copy of Lucifer's hammer. How timely.

LOL!  I love that book.

[CFG]

Thanks for the new forum, Archer  

My three year old is NUTS over outer space.  He 'reads' books, makes planets out of playdoh, watches videos, and constantly lectures on asteroids, black holes, planets, stars...  He doesn't carry a stuffed animal around, but rather a box of model planets of styrofoam, plastic, clay, whatever.  He has lately begun giving them voices and personalities.  Neptune and Uranus had breakfast with us and tried to eat my egg this morning.

Oh, sorry, TMI.   Very interesting.  Thanks for posting.

[BigDanInTX]

I can honestly say I have never have eaten breakfast with Uranus...

[archer]

I can honestly say I have never have eaten breakfast with Uranus...

Oh that is good..... +1

[Michael Masse]

I kind of surprised they didn't spot this thing a long time.  Three days is a real surprise.  If it was going to hit there would have been zero time to send up Bruce and his buddies.

[ColdHaven]

You know, even amidst a disaster of such proportions there would be something inside of me tempted to play the theme song from 'Armageddon'.

I guess in that scenario there really is no point of a BOB unless you have a place somewhere on the other side of the planet from where the impact is going to be that you can get to in before 3 days with all your preps.

You could only hope for the best.

[Michael Masse]

Well they said this rock would be like an atomic bomb explosion .  He they knew where it was going to hit you could get pretty far away in three days.

If it is like the one in Armageddon then you are right.  Not to many place to hide.

[ColdHaven]

Yeah, that would be better if it were only like a nuclear bomb. Hopefully it would land somewhere out to see, but even then it might not be the best thing. Would that not cause a tsunami?

[theaccidentalsurvivor]

It would cause a tsunami for sure..... I'm also pretty sure a water impact would be worse than if it landed in the sea..... It would throw salt water into the atmosphere that would then rain salt over the land.... Either way it wouldn't be good

[ColdHaven]

It would cause a tsunami for sure..... I'm also pretty sure a water impact would be worse than if it landed in the sea..... It would throw salt water into the atmosphere that would then rain salt over the land.... Either way it wouldn't be good

Evaporation does not work that way. It would not 'rain' in the traditional sense. The effect would have to be in the form of a splash like a really big kid jumping into a pool. It would not perform this kind of 'rain' over the entire world, but only near the impact.

Remember, the asteroid would be slowed and even broken up as it strikes the water. It is the same idea as if you jumped from 200 feet into some water. You are going to get broken because at that height water becomes like cement with the impact. Even then, it would have to make it to the ocean floor to cause a true tsunami. It pretty much is theoretical. Its not like the asteroid is going to explode like a Nuclear bomb when it hits the ocean floor. Tsunamis are caused by underground earthquakes below the ocean floor. Interesting to think about though.

[susan1957]

I think it tells us that we need to be prepared for anything at anytime because we didn't find out about this until after it had passed which is how sudden dangers come without warning. 

[theaccidentalsurvivor]

Yeah I didnt mean rain like thunderstorm rain.... I meant rain like.... Raining death upon our enemies 

[archer]

Here is a thread that has links to a story where a larger asteroid slams into Earth. Major devastation. Not sure how much of that devastation would happen, but the author seems to have done some homework.

http://thesurvivalpodcast.com/forum/index.php?topic=495.0