Do you know what happens on Feb. 1, 2019?

[Guest Downhome]

Yes, this is an actuall story from NewsDay everyone, so read and enjoy, and talk it over...

 

"Asteroid Might Hit Earth in 2019

 

By Robert Cooke

STAFF WRITER

 

July 25, 2002

 

 

A large and newly sighted asteroid is reported to be on a potential collision course with Earth in 2019. Astronomers said yesterday, those observations are scary but not necessarily accurate.

 

For now they're watching and waiting.

 

The existence of the asteroid was reported by the British Broadcasting Corp. Astronomer Donald Yoemans, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., told the BBC that "the threat is minimal" despite calculations showing the asteroid known as 2002 NT7 might hit on Feb. 1, 2019.

 

The 1.2-mile-wide asteroid was discovered July 9 by LINEAR, the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research Project, using a telescope near Socorro, N.M. The program is run by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory.

 

Scientists estimated yesterday that the big rock has slightly less than a one-in-a-million chance of colliding with Earth - one of many scenarios.

 

Astronomer Gareth Williams, at the International Astronomical Union's central telegram bureau in Cambridge, Mass., said it's probable the risk "will go away when we have observed it for a longer period of time." But if it were to collide with Earth, we should plan for a very, very long winter.

 

Williams estimated that if 2002 NT7 were to hit, the event would equal a blast comparable to about 1 million megatons of TNT, far larger than any man-made explosion.

 

Nevertheless, "I'm not particularly fazed by" the prediction, he said. "I will not start getting worried until it turns out this thing is not going away."

 

Astronomers have given asteroid 2002 NT7 a rating of "1" on the Torino impact hazard scale, meaning it is an object worthy of careful monitoring. Observations will continue into next year to ascertain its true orbital path as it cruises around the sun every 837 days. A collision could occur if its path intersected Earth's orbit.

 

In any case, Williams said, "what's unusual about this is that it is so big - it's 2 kilometers across - and we really don't want a 2-kilometer object falling onto the Earth."

 

Statistically, every 100 million years a 6-mile-wide object hits the Earth with an impact similar to the one that most scientists believe wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

 

Williams said reports of this kind seem scary at first because they're premature - too soon for the asteroid's true orbit to be calculated with precision. Later, when refined figures show no likelihood of impact, it's just "ho hum," he said."

 

...my favorite part about that is this...

 

In any case, Williams said, "what's unusual about this is that it is so big - it's 2 kilometers across - and we really don't want a 2-kilometer object falling onto the Earth."

 

...to THAT, all I can say is this, YA THINK!?

 

Sincerely,

...Downhome...

[Guest DrTom]

"In any case, Williams said, 'what's unusual about this is that it is so big - it's 2 kilometers across - and we really don't want a 2-kilometer object falling onto the Earth.'"

 

If something like that fell on the Middle East tomorrow, I wouldn't complain.

[Guest J*ingus]

Yeah you would, 2 kilometers of asteroid is enough to end all life on earth. But anyway, I'm not worried about this one. We saw it way ahead of time, and will be able to accurately plot its course. Worst comes to worst, they'd hit it with some missiles to changes its course so that it would miss us. What I worry more about is the ones they haven't seen...

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

**agreed with Jingus**

[Guest nWoAngel]

I abouselty agree. Better they found this now than later. But let's face it. The asteroid could go any other position, or end up burning in the Earth's atmosphere. But damn, I would hate for it to hit. I agree too, it's the ones we don't know about that cause more danger.

[Guest bob_barron]

Dr. Tom- as someone who has family in Israel- that was a pretty shitty thing to say.

 

Ummm based on my knowledge of asteroids- send some oil riggers to stop it

[Guest Vern Gagne]

The gov't could launch a missile to blow up the asteroid, only to have it miss, and take out the only bridge out of town.

[Guest spiny norman]

We should send a nuclear missile to hit it. That way, instead of one giant rock hitting the Earth, we'll have thousands of somewhat large rocks hitting the Earth!

[Guest the 1inch punch]

End of the World

 

Whoo Hoo, bout fucking time too

[Guest 4Life]

End of the World

 

Whoo Hoo, bout fucking time too

Maybe this will finally bring peace in Palestine

[Guest DrEvil]

Don't you all know that the extra thick layer of pollution in the atmosphere will break up the asteroid before it actually hits the earth.

 

 

But just in case, I have a plan. While all of you are sitting there twiddling your thumbs going dum-de-dum-de-dum, I'm gonna be driving out of town. See you losers later.

The gov't could launch a missile to blow up the asteroid, only to have it miss, and take out the only bridge out of town.

D'OH

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

"Ummm based on my knowledge of asteroids- send some oil riggers to stop it."

 

Damn, somebody beat me to it.

[Guest PlatypusFool]

Damn, this is a bit of a pisser... Right before my 35th birthday too... damnit.

[Guest jimmy no nose]

Don't most asteroids start at a fairly large size, then break down quite a bit in the athmosphere? You'd think in 17 years it would shrink to something less than 2 km.

[Guest Invader3k]

Yeah, right...in a couple years they'll figure out it was a big miscalculation, and that the asteroid is going to miss us "only" by a couple million miles.

 

Or by then we'll have advanced enough weaponry to blow it out of the sky anyways.

[Guest cartman]

The only thing that worries me about all this asteroid talk...the fact that one just made the closest pass to earth like EVER last month and we didnt know about it until a week before it passed...

[Guest Karnage]

If it is going to hit the earth, they will probably send a bunch of oil riggers up to space to blow it up from the inside out.

[Guest Michael Joel Benoit]

*tries to calm self down by reading it over and relizing that there are 18 years left and technology will way advanced by then to destroy this thing.*

 

*then relizes it could still hit.*

 

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!!

[Guest Retro Rob]

I'm sure that given 17 years, all of the scientists in the world would be able to come up with some way to stop anything fatal from happening.

[Guest RickyB]

To tell you the truth, whether it hits or not, neither of us can do anything about it. So we may as well just enjoy life until then.

[Guest undisputedjericho]

Wise man once say, "By the time it gets to the atmosphere, it'll burn up and the remaining asteroid will be no larger than a chiwawa's head."

[Guest MentallyNormal]

They said that asteroid is gonna miss now. An you're right he is wise and yes it was a baby ox.

[Guest mister foozel]

the one thing i don't like is how they say "every 100 milllion years a large objecthits the earth etc."

 

how can that be since most likely the earth isn't even that old

[Guest RVD_HBK]

The asteroid is so far away that we could simply send a rocket out right now to crash into it and make it miss by thousands of miles

[Guest Ravenbomb]

Don't worry, the world is gonna end sometime in December 2010 anyways (the 28th I think)

[Guest DARRYLXWF]

Send out Bruce Willis

[Guest redbaron51]

the one thing i don't like is how they say "every 100 milllion years a large objecthits the earth etc."

 

how can that be since most likely the earth isn't even that old

earth is that old its like 4 billion years old

[Guest kingkamala]

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE'RREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL GONNNA DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest LooseCannon]

This thread already got my hopes up once. It's not gonna happen again.