Asteroid approaching Earth?

Question

If an asteroid is approaching earth at 12 miles per second, and it's closest point of approach is 100 miles directly above the North Pole, What would the affect be on the planet?

Answer 1

WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE! AHHHHHRGHHHHGGH!!!!!

Answer 2

If its a small asteroid then we would get a great light show. If on the other hand it was very large one...well it would get messy. First off at 100 miles it is going through the thermosphere so it is going to heat up as it go through. This will cause a sudden rise in temp at the north pole...which could go in 2 different directions 1 Cause a sudden melt of the polar ice cap flooding all coastal regions or 2 increase the amount of snow fall and possibly starting a mini ice age....there are so many variables to predict what could happen

Answer 3

If it hit the north pole, there is nothing happen to it, because earth have been hit before but not all people are not affected by it and the earth weighed heavier than the asteroid that able to sustain it's weight. We didn't die, but we can see asteroid can be found in north pole!

Answer 4

This problem cannnot really be calculated without knowing the approximate size of the asteroid--as well as what it is made of. For our purposes, let's say that it is roughly 200 meters in diameter and made of dense (as opposed to porous) rock, which would give it a "projectile density" of about 1500 kilograms per meter.

At an angle of 45 degrees--the most likely angle of approach--the object striking water at a depth of 50 meters:

The projectile begins to breakup at an altitude of 56100 meters = 184000 ft
The projectile reaches the ground in a broken condition. The mass of projectile strikes the surface at velocity 16.8 km/s = 10.4 miles/s
The impact energy is 1.77 x 1018 Joules = 4.24 x 102MegaTons.
The broken projectile fragments strike the ground in an ellipse of dimension 0.85 km by 0.601 km

The Earth is not strongly disturbed by the impact and loses negligible mass.
The impact does not make a noticeable change in the Earth's rotation period or the tilt of its axis.
The impact does not shift the Earth's orbit noticeably.

Answer 5

At 100 miles altitude it would actually pass through the thinnest region of our atmosphere. Depending upon it's size it may take some small portion of the atmoshere with it to some extent but so long as it does not impact the Earth directly we should notice no ill effects whatsoever. If it does hit the Earth... well... was nice to meet ya! See you on the other side!

Answer 6

I think it would probably go around the Earth for a little bit and hurtle right back out again. The escape velocity for an object on Earth is around 7 miles/s, so chances are that it will have minimal effect on the Earth. It's too far and small to do any damage to the ozone layer...

Answer 7

yes this will effect our sea level and the world will be destroyed by vibration of that asteroid that could be like earthquake. but if we don,t die by this vibration then we will die by the overflow of sea level. because when asteroid hits the north pole of earth then the ice of the north pole will break and levels up the sea.

Answer 8

it might show a streak across the sky (at 100 miles, not much atmosphere) .. and it might ionize particles and have an effect on aurora borealis if they arte active at the time ..


otherwise, not much effect as far I i would guess


unless it was HUGE and might cause soem graviatational ripple in orbit or rotation-axis ... which would be semi-catastrophic ....

Answer 9

the affect on the planet would be that many things would be destroyed especially europe and what not and yea

Answer 10

If it was a good size one it would affect it adversely