02-09-2003 22:31									#31
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quote: Originally posted by Asmodean Let's have a show of hands: If a thing this big hits, how many here actually think that humanity can do anything about it? I say no. We have no chance. There's no technology available. nor is any technology likely to emerge within the next twelve years that will counter a threat like this. Nukes?? It'll just laugh and keep on coming. Asmodean

Don't be silly. The smallest nuke we have would be enough to knock it completely out of its collision course (as long as we were to detonate it with a few years to spare).

	02-09-2003 22:32									#32
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quote: Originally posted by Solver Why do they even keep reporting that stuff? I'm getting tired. As always, in a month they will say the the asteroid will pass earth. If they were to observe something and find out the chances are 1 in a 1000, well, then announce.

maybe it was a slow news day and had nothing else to report.

	02-09-2003 22:33									#33
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quote: Originally posted by Asmodean Let's have a show of hands: If a thing this big hits, how many here actually think that humanity can do anything about it? Nukes?? [IMG] It'll just laugh and keep on coming. Asmodean

Actually, I think we might have enough quantity of warheads, thank the cold war. All we would need is a delivery system, and we might be able to manage that in a decade or so.

The amusing thing about this thread is its assumption that we won't find another way to kill ourselves off in the meantime...

	02-09-2003 22:35									#34
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For those of you wishing the asteroid to hit LA for Texas, first off I live around LA area, not too far from the city and I would most likely die if it hit. Second all of you would most likely die anyways from the after effects and most likely strave to death while those of us in the impact site would die right away, so be carefull what you wish for.

An asteroid would mostly likely come down in the ocean since 2/3 of the planet is covered with water.

	02-09-2003 22:40									#35
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quote: Originally posted by Asmodean I say no. We have no chance. There's no technology available. nor is any technology likely to emerge within the next twelve years that will counter a threat like this. Nukes?? It'll just laugh and keep on coming. Asmodean

Nukes would probably work, as well as other methods. You only have to knock it off course by a smidge. I've even heard of scenario where you could splatter it with the equivalent of a giant paint ball, which would affect its heat absorption, and cause it to go off course.

Jac.

	02-09-2003 22:52									#36
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Ooh-ooh!!

I'm all for the Giant Paintball Method !!
(plus, it would be a great name for a rock band).

	02-09-2003 22:59									#37
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But they add the chances of it doing so are just one in 909,000.

What is more, any risk of an impact is likely to decrease as further
data is gathered, they say.

Credible threat

The BBC's science correspondent Christine McGourty says that, although the chances this asteroid will hit the Earth are slim, it is
considered worth monitoring due to its sheer size and velocity.

The rock is said to measure approximately two thirds of a mile across- only one tenth of the size of the meteor thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

It is travelling at a speed of about 20 miles per second.

"In theory such an asteroid could cause devastation across an entire continent," Christine McGourty says.

It has been labelled "2003 QQ 47" and astronomers will be monitoring it closely for the next two months.

	02-09-2003 23:01									#38
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Hm, why would everyone die? I mean sure Those ppl. near the impact would die...
Ok the theory is a big dust cloud would kill all plant live cose lack of sun. What about if the rock hits the ocean? No Dust cloud than?
Anyways if you live far enough away from impact you could make it. I mean you can grow plants with electric lights. You would still get electricity from the usuall methods used today, no sun needed. You can feed your animals with your plants. Feed yourself with the plants + dead animals. Sure it gets cold with no sun. But heating is still avaibel for you, your plants and animals.

We dont need the Sun!

	02-09-2003 23:42									#39
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that gives me 11 years to get as much ***** as I can

	02-09-2003 23:50									#40
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As always in a crisis --

Some would try save the world.
Some woud just try to get high and/or get laid.

It was ever thus...

	03-09-2003 04:20									#41
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*bumped for Thorn*

	03-09-2003 05:09									#42
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quote: Originally posted by DanielXY Hm, why would everyone die? I mean sure Those ppl. near the impact would die... Ok the theory is a big dust cloud would kill all plant live cose lack of sun. What about if the rock hits the ocean? No Dust cloud than?

There would be no dust, that's true.

But if it were to hit the ocean, all I can say is:

SURF'S UP!!!

And then most coastal cities overlooking that part of the ocean would be wiped out.

	03-09-2003 06:40									#43
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it wouldn't be so bad if it hit the artic ocean.

	03-09-2003 07:06									#44
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quote: Originally posted by Sava Good, I hope it wipes us out...

naaaahh... i just hope it wipes you out

	03-09-2003 07:49									#45
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I'm with Sava on this one.

	03-09-2003 08:46									#46
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Any chance that this asteroid can just take out Texas?

	03-09-2003 08:48									#47
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An analogy of an asteroid hitting the ocean. (someone with greater knowledge of scaling could give more accuracy)

Imagine shooting a rifle (.223 remington) vertically into a shallow pond (say 12cm deep). How much mud would be sprayed around?

Moral, there would be dust along with an extremely big tsunami. An asteroid impact on land would cause less damage (both short and long term) than one hitting the ocean.

Long term effects - First the dust would reduce sunlight below levels needed for photosynthesis, thus the plants and phyto-plankton would die. Then slowly up the food chain, each level would starve as it's food source died off. Also, with the carbon cycle broken, co2 levels would begin rising but not significantly enough to prevent a nuclear winter which would kill off almost everything else.

All is not lost since the cockroaches will most likely survive.

	03-09-2003 08:50									#48
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quote: Originally posted by Qilue An analogy of an asteroid hitting the ocean. (someone with greater knowledge of scaling could give more accuracy) Imagine shooting a rifle (.223 remington) vertically into a shallow pond (say 12cm deep). How much mud would be sprayed around? Moral, there would be dust along with an extremely big tsunami. An asteroid impact on land would cause less damage (both short and long term) than one hitting the ocean. Long term effects - First the dust would reduce sunlight below levels needed for photosynthesis, thus the plants and phyto-plankton would die. Then slowly up the food chain, each level would starve as it's food source died off. Also, with the carbon cycle broken, co2 levels would begin rising but not significantly enough to prevent a nuclear winter which would kill off almost everything else. All is not lost since the cockroaches will most likely survive.

cool

	03-09-2003 09:24									#49
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So all we need concern ourselves is knowing who the antiChrist will be. Should be rising to prominence and establsihing world peace (at least with Israel and the rest of the world) for seven years. The tribulation ensues. Eventually battle of Armageddon culminates with a large rock from the heavens being thrown down.

Any takers on who it will be?

	03-09-2003 10:55									#50
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I'm fairly sure that even an asteroid that has a larger diameter than the depth of the ocean where it impacts will still vaporize on impact in such a way that the overwhelming majority of the impact would be absorbed by the water rather than the sea floor. What you get is a stupendous steam explosion rather than a huge dust cloud of ocean floor thrown into the stratosphere. There would likely be tremendous disruption of the sea floor directly below impact but nothing at all like the sorts of clouds of dust that would result from a land impact. The tsunamis however would probably be so powerful as to not just obliterate every structure on every shore of the ocean of impact but also wreak lesser havoc on coastal settlements planetwide. I know I've seen some good web sites on this sort of asteroid collision what-if stuff. I'll see if i can dig them up again.

	03-09-2003 11:07									#51
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One of these days one of these NEOs will unexpectedly pop up from the far side of the moon.

"Oops! Didn't see that one coming."

Of course, the odds of that happening are... astronomical.

Last edited by Anun Ik Oba on 03-09-2003 at 11:14

	03-09-2003 11:15									#52
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Well, at least it's less than a mile across. Humanity will survive if it hits, although the world afterwards probably won't be a very fun place to live in.

I really wish these scientists would keep it down until they're more sure if the damn thing is going to hit or miss us. It doesn't make much sense to sound the alarm when, by their own admission, they don't have enough data yet to make a firm judgment one way or another on what's going to happen.

Oh, and if it does hit, here's a vote for Antarctica.

Gatekeeper

	03-09-2003 11:17									#53
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Yes Antartica seems like a good choice. Though that would surely cause sea levels to rise at least it wouldn't block out the sun with dust.

	03-09-2003 11:28									#54
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I read some months ago about an asteroid that was supposed to hit Earth sometime in 2017, someshere in Western Europe. Is this the same one, or a new one? If not, what happened to the first one?

Anyway, I remember that, when I read about the first one, there was this bit about it being the first asteroid monitored by astronomers that had a bigger chance than 1 in a million to hit us. If this is a different asteroid, then I guess it's the second object that has a sizable chance to drop by.

	03-09-2003 11:57									#55
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Just think of the massive orgies which would occur if people really thought the world was going to end. It would almost be worth it.

	03-09-2003 12:14									#56
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Why even bother to discuss where it's gonna hit. All the movies on this subject can't be wrong. It's gonna hit in, or in close proximity to, the good ole US of A.

Asmodean

	03-09-2003 13:18									#57
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Well, at least it isn't a one in a million chance.

	03-09-2003 14:49									#58
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Cute.

	03-09-2003 15:00									#59
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I'd prefer it hit the arctic. Damn northern hemisphere bastards.

	03-09-2003 23:12									#60
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But Antarctica is mostly uninhabited by humans! Sure, it'd raise sea levels, but I don't live near a coastline, so big-whoo-de-doo! (Although it'd still raise hell with the weather patterns ... I might find myself living in a new Sahara Desert.)

"The Great American Breadbasket, er Desert"

Gatekeeper