Alright, so impending doom isn't really probable, but considering that NASA originally predicted that the Apophis asteroid had a 1 in 45,000 chance of colliding with the Earth, and now the true chances have been predicted to approximately 1 in 450 (by a 13-year-old German schoolboy, of all people!), the difference is quite a bit to consider.
If the asteroid does happen to collide with the Earth, it will be around 1000 feet wide, and will weigh somewhere around 200 billion tonnes, or nearly four-and-a-half trillion pounds. It will most-likely hit the Atlantic Ocean, create massive tsuname waves and create utter chaos for both coasts. Oh, and then, you know, a massive dust ball blanketing the Earth for an indefinite amount of years, blocking out the sun, and bringing nearly all of the world's creatures to death.
The reason the chances have changed? There are about 40,000 satellites orbiting the Earth. These satellites travel at around 2 miles per second, and the furthest one from the Earth is about 22,000 miles from the surface, but the Apophis asteroid will pass around 20,000 miles from the surface. Considering the Apophis has a fairly decent chance of colliding with one of those satellites when it passes near the Earth in 2029, then there's no chance of us surviving when it comes back around in 2036.
So... anybody up for impending doom in about 30 years? I know I'm super pumped for it!
30 years??????
not my problem *sips a kool-aid*
Why don't they send Bruce Willis to fix this?
You know what to do.
[IMG]http://www.freewebs.com/davidmawesome/outsource/UseTheBoost.jpg[/IMG]
Got a source I can look at for this? Not disputing it, I'd just like to look at it myself and spread it too. Kinda hard to spread an internet post, y'know?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/16/esa_german_schoolboy_apophis_denial/
That should work.
It's times like this I'm glad to be a material nihilist.
Let's go build some space colonies, quick!
[quote=Omni;840847][URL]http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/16/esa_german_schoolboy_apophis_denial/[/URL]
That should work.That article is another one I read, but I'm not so sure who I want to agree with. NASA and ESA were both quoted to have agreed with the boy, and now they changed their minds again.
I'm no mathematician, nor are many people here, but just looking at the odds logically, they do seem a lot better than 1 in 45,000. Think about it; if this asteroid hits one of the thousands of satellites on its way in, it has a 50/50 chance of deflecting it slightly so it'll be further from the Earth or closer to the Earth on it's way back. Technically, there are an infinite amount of points it could pass the Earth, thus making it rather difficult to collide with said satellites, but the true chances of 1 in 45,000 seem more to be a way to keep people calm yet informed, rather than telling them the absolute truth. That truth? DOOOOOOOOOOM!
But, seriously, for most of us, 30 years isn't a big deal. As long as I get to spend the next 30 years doing what I want to do, bring it on.:)
I guess that we'd better start with the sex, drugs, and rock and roll right now.
if by sex, drugs and rock and roll you mean gay sex, pop rocks and the chrono trigger soundtrack i'm inclined to agree
seriously, though, 30 years kind of sux but by that time i'll hopefully have accomplished whatever i was going to accomplish anyway
and if you add this to all the other hilarious end of the world myths/possibilities/etc then the world will have ended about 837 times by 30 years from now anyway
I think we're going to cause bigger problems for ourselves over these next 30 years than that asteroid will. And, similarly, I imagine if we could problably devise some sort of scheme to try and deflect it a bit on it's first pass if we discover that it needs attention further down the line.
LET'S HIT IT WITH A NUKE!!
Roger Smith is a big baby!
:crying:
I'd take the nuke over you know...it hitting earth. Cause if one of these tiny little pieces of space **** can cause enough to garner it coming towards Earth, than the whole idea of a nuke hitting it should also cause it to be deflected away.
Yeah, living underground for a set amount of time and then venturing outside only to find it's like Hellgate London meets Fallout does sound more attractive then just outright dying.
Good call antsu pantsu.
I'm all for hitting it with a nuke if it means the Fallout universe becomes reality.
[quote=Roger Smith;841010]Can't wait to get torn limb from limb by a Super Mutant.
Fix'd.
Look guys, all we need to do is build something like what the Soviets made in 1961 - a ~50 megaton nuke. If a satellite that's no bigger than a car could potentially deflect it enough to where it'll hit the earth on it's second go around, 50 megatons outta shove it the heck out of the way.
It also may fling it directly into Mars, which could then slam into us shortly there after.
[quote=S
[quote=mis0;841166]Look guys, all we need to do is build something like what the Soviets made in 1961 - a ~50 megaton nuke. If a satellite that's no bigger than a car could potentially deflect it enough to where it'll hit the earth on it's second go around, 50 megatons outta shove it the heck out of the way.
They just made a 100 megaton nuke but its to heavy to move
Two things odd about this:
1. How does a 13 year old boy figure out the "real" likelihood of asteroid collision against NASA? I don't recall learning how to calculate planet collision and space movement in science or even any advanced astronomy class.
2. Why would NASA listen to a 13 year old boy who called to say, "You got it wrong!"
Also, first I've heard of it. Australian News or our World News channel doesn't seem that concerned about any impending doom, even 30-years-away doom.
See also: Oh well.
Sensationalist news. What do you expect?
:amy: We will experience our Creator's supernatural power of saving believers from death through a superfast change from human flesh to weightless floating spirits, while Earth deteriorates to nothingness and then seconds later, Earth is brought back to life as a pollution-free planet with the Creator's bejeweled kingdom mega-structure where there will be no fastfoods and softdrink, just pure water and nutrient-densed fruit. I guess it doesn't hurt to ask our Lord that if you want fish and chips then you should receive it. Oh well, living forever is good but it would be a terrible shame that our Lord would not let us feed on food ideas that people have enjoyed making for centuries.
[quote=misogenie;843424]:amy: We will experience our Creator's supernatural power of saving believers from death through a superfast change from human flesh to weightless floating spirits, while Earth deteriorates to nothingness and then seconds later, Earth is brought back to life as a pollution-free planet with the Creator's bejeweled kingdom mega-structure where there will be no fastfoods and softdrink, just pure water and nutrient-densed fruit. I guess it doesn't hurt to ask our Lord that if you want fish and chips then you should receive it. Oh well, living forever is good but it would be a terrible shame that our Lord would not let us feed on food ideas that people have enjoyed making for centuries.
Not according to the book of Revelations.
Misogenie must have never read The Bible. Earth doesn't end thanks to a giant meteor, it's inflation that does the trick.:)
I've been hanging out on Fur Affinity too long. When I read inflation, the first thing that I thought of wasn't money, unfortunately. D:
Yeah carbonated drinks are some of the most toxic things you can put in your body.
that movie sucked man.
Aerosmith sucks.
It was a good emotional movie!!!
Yeah watching Bruce Willis stay and blow up the Aggro-Crag from space was emotional. Seriously him being all martyr was super obvious.
The fat guy died.
According to the prophetic babbling of an eight-month-old baby, the earth will split in two in four days.
According to this fortune cookie, I should "look to the next month for some pleasant surprises," in bed.