Surprise asteroid nearly hits home

[sbcanada]

(CNN) -- An asteroid the size of a football field passed extremely close to Earth last week but it remained undetected until days later, astronomers said Thursday.

The space rock missed our planet Friday by only 75,000 miles (120,000 km), about one-third the distance to the moon, making the near collision one of the closest ever recorded.

Cruising at 6.2 miles (10 km) per second, the big boulder could have unleashed some major firepower had it struck, according to the NEO (Near Earth Objects) Information Center in Leicester, England.

The destructive force might have been comparable to an asteroid or comet that exploded over Siberia in 1908, which flattened 77 square miles (2,000 square km) of trees, according to the NEO.

Source


If a really big asteroid actually hits the earth, we probably won't know about it until we're all dead.

 

[Justintime]

Then theoretically we won't know about it

 

[Luis G]

 

[ris]

it'll be a nice surprise then

 

[[b]]

But what if we did know? What if we had seen that one and it had hit?

All we could of done is evacuate the area or kiss our collective butts goodbye.

I wonder how far away you could feel an impact like that?

 

[PT]

I was just watching a show on Discovery channel the other night about this. It was called Planetary Defense or something like that. Really interesting if you get a chance to see it.

The only way they have of knowing when asteroids are on their way are the amatuer astronomers.

 

[MitchSchaft]

I think there's only like 30 of those guys worldwide, too.

 

[sbcanada]

Well if a big one did hit, we'd know about it because we'd hear the big boom and see the sky darken with dust and Asian body parts. Then we'd all die when the shock wave comes and incinerates us.

P.S. I say Asian body parts because I'm sure it will hit over there. They are lucky, those people.

 

[Luis G]

lucky, huh?.....

 

[sbcanada]

 

[ris]

if it hits them first and i get to die of slow suffocation and the fireball etc then yes, i consider them the lucky ones.

 

[Luis G]

Now, if Cindy Crawford were in space, we would have some way to have population on Earth back. (me wants to be an astronaut)

What would the astronauts do if they get to see the explosion from "outter space" ???
wonder if they would come down after they see things "calmed"...

 

[Ardsgaine]

Originally posted by Anakin
If a really big asteroid actually hits the earth, we probably won't know about it until we're all dead.

Ardsgaine (hanging out in Hell with B and the other damned ones): That was some explosion, eh? Did anyone ever figure out what it was?

B: Who cares, let's go ride the teacups again!