If a meteor was due to hit the earth and kill all mankind do you think the government would tell us?

Answer 1

I don't think they would tell us. Everyone would panic, trying to get to secret bomb shelters (if there is any public ones. The only one I know of is for the really rich, and the president), or some would want to rob someone else because they know that they can't do that soon. It's the same with killing. People would kill people they didn't like, figuring that they would die and not go to jail. People would rob museums, do over doses of drugs because they won't have it soon, suicides, people shoting at the White House beacuse they're gonna die anyway (beacuse they hate the president), and everyone will drive on the highways, trying to get away from the crash site. That would clog up all the roads, and no one would get anywhere. Finally, what if it turned out that the meteor was too small to get to the ground, or missed us compleatly and het the sun or something? Then all those dead people, insane people, stolen paintings and thousands of tons of carbon-dioxide (or whatever a car exusts), would be for nothing. It would take years to recover, and then, people would be mad at the government for scaring them, and become insane freaks with no will for another dollar to go to NASA, or even elect another president. It's probably a good idea not to tell anyone.

Answer 2

If it were up to Karl Rove? Of course they would, and they'd blame it on Democrats!

Now a days (in fact for about the last 25 years or so), the government isn't the only people that would know about something like that. There's enough astronomers all over the world that it would be impossible to keep something like that secret.

And, technically, I think you mean a comet or asteroid, since meteors generally aren't big enough to kill all mankind. Meteors range from 10 centimeters to several meters (smaller ones are called meteroids).

Edit: BTW, the only asteroid predicted to come close to the Earth in the near future is Apophis in 2029 (this is the asteroid people were concerned about back in Dec 2004). It will miss us in 2029, but not by much. It could pass by at about the same altitude as geosynchronous satellites. It will pass close by again in 2036, but it's hard to predict the orbit out that far. We won't get a chance to calculate a more accurate orbit until around 2013, when it's close enough to get a good observation.

Answer 3

naaa....i don't think so...
Last thing they want to do is create a mass hysteria.
What they might do is tell people about the meteor, that it will hit Earth, but not that it will kill all mankind.
Plus, I hope they'll be doing some behind the covers work to protect the mankind from this mass destruction!!
But, I am sure they'll never let us know that we are doing tobe hit!

Answer 4

It doesnt really matter, people have been warning of the cataclism posed by accellerated global warming for 20 years and people still dont give a toss. A meteor is much more exciting though isn't it. Not nearly as dangerous though.

Answer 5

its hard to say. they do kind of have a list of objects that might come close to hitting earth (see source) but then again, i cant say for certain if they left anything off this list. Also, just about anyone can go out a buy quite a good telescope. Ok not as powerful as the ones the government have. also if something was going to hit us, we would see it for about a month befire it hit us.

Answer 6

If a asteriod was going to hit earth and it was a global killer, we would be able to see it days or weeks before it hit (depending on size). Also with the number of independent astronomers (most likley to spot it) and a **** stiring media I think the daily star or sun would splash it all over the front page and to damn with the public, just like the media is doing at the moment with terrorists, they over hype to sell papers.

Answer 7

Probably not because they too will not know until the Astronomer's will tell them and perhaps before they'll knew it they're the last institution to know it because a lot of individual entities nowadays are equipped with knowledge and aid of the new and improving technologies.

Answer 8

Me personally if i were the prime minister/president i would send ben affleck and bruce willis up there first with a black & decker SDS and a shipment of fire crackers from afghanistan.
If that failed then i suppose liv tyler could come comfort me till it all blew over

Answer 9

Dave....brother.....what might it count? it rather is not comparable to they might end it besides? it would desire to be greater clever for us if it in basic terms hit without understanding. it rather is not comparable to we are able to turn the Earth on its axis "freewheeling" so the meteor might purposely crash interior the sea! Sorry brother...in basic terms mandatory a sturdy chuckle after a protracted day.

Answer 10

according to NASA sources, and indeed the nasa website itself, there is an asteroid which is due to hit the earth in approximatley 15 years time. it is unsure as to what damage it will do since the exact composition of the asteroid and so are unsure as to what it will do upon impacting the atmosphere. Be assured, preparations are well under way just in case it turns out to be a threat.