The end of the world....?

Question

Ok so its happened before.... our planet is struck regularly by objects crashing down on us from outer space. The best recorded of these events occurred in 1908 when a small asteroid, about 300 feet in diameter, exploded high above the Tunguska River valley in Siberia, producing a brilliant blue fireball that knocked people off their feet 40 miles away, and flattened millions of trees. But my QUESTION IS:- according to research we maybe in the collision course of an asteroid. The newly discovered threat to global civilisation is called 2000 SG344 and they say it MAY hit sometime in September 2028.

1) How many of you actually believe this? I mean there are ALWAYS articals on Asteroids on the same path of Earth and yet Nasa keep changing their spected dates of impact.

2) Lets say it IS true, would you want to be told or not and why?

Actually as i said before there are MANY dates given. A few months ago it was broadcasted on world news that were ment to be hit in 2021.

Answer 1

First, I think you might have your asteroids confused :)

2000 SG344 is projected as a possible "hit" ... according to my source: "there is about a 1 in 556 chance that it will collide with Earth between 2068 and 2101. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_SG344

Apophis was provisionally determined to have a 2029 impact date but that's been eliminated after more precise measurements. However, it Might hit in 2036 IF it passes through a "gravitational keyhole" when it passes us in 2029 ... details here:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news146.html
and here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis

To answer your questions....

NASA changes the projected impact dates because of refinements to the measurements of the asteroid's orbit... with more points located on the asteroid's track, it allows for a more accurate projection.

Here's NASA's explanation of it:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/doc/sentry.html

If they do find an asteroid that is heading toward Earth, I would like to know about it... hopefully they'll have enough advance warning to do something about it... but if not, I would still like to know.

Here's a link to the NASA Risk page:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/

Also, the further away the projected impact date, the greater the chances are that we might be able to do something about it.... here are links to several Plans:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/11/1109_051109_asteroid_tug.html
http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn9063-taking-out-a-killer-asteroid--with-a-tame-one.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/31/nasa_has_a_plan/

An article you might enjoy reading:
http://skytonight.com/news/3310036.html?page=1&c=y

JT

Answer 2

I actually believe that there are many small asteroids constantly passing very close to Earth, but we just didn't know it before. And the changing dates are due to the fact that the news media always reports the most preliminary data, before enough observations have been made to calculate an accurate orbit.

The 1908 Tunguska event was believed to be the result of a 20 meter size object. This is just an estimate based on the damage caused. My point is that it was far smaller than the 300 meters you stated.

SG344 is about 40 meters in size. The impact of an object that size would not cause a global problem, although it would cause massive damage in the place where it hit.

If it were going to hit, then I would want to know. At the very least I could ensure I was far from the impact site on the day it arrived. Probably I wouldn't have to do anything anyway because it would probably hit someplace far away, like Tunguska for example.

Answer 3

From the above answers, it should be obvious that we can't predict when an asteroid or other object will hit the earth. We know it happens and almost certainly will happen again. But probably won't know for sure until a few weeks, or even days, before it happens, which will be way too late to do anything about it. Not that we shouldn't keep trying, but the technology to defend the earth from asteroid impacts is a long way off.

Answer 4

NASA News has published an article on this asteroid "Much Ado about 2000 SG344" (see link below)

When the object was first discovered it appeared to be a small asteroid, but another possibility is gaining favor among researchers. "The orbit of SG344 is so Earth-like, it makes you wonder if came from our own planet," mused Yeomans.

In 1971, the last time 2000 SG344 was in the vicinity of Earth, NASA's Apollo program was in full swing. 2000 SG344 may well be debris from an Apollo-era rocket masquerading as a space rock.

"Initially we thought it was too bright (and thus too large) to be a rocket fragment, but it's possible that this is the S-IVB stage from a big Saturn V," continued Yeomans.

If SG344 is a derelict rocket booster, it's probably no larger than 15 meters and wouldn't pose much of a threat even if it did strike Earth. An incoming S-IVB would burn up in the atmosphere as a dazzling but mostly-harmless fireball.

Answer 5

The reason the suspected dates (and the odds) of an impact change is that more data is gathered on the object's orbit...and often the orbit itself changes as the object has gravitational interactions with other solar system bodies. Currently, it's pretty certain that it's not going to hit us...but it's going to pass pretty darn close.

Of course I'd want to be told, I'd want the whole world to know. That increases the chances that somebody will come up with a clever solution to alter the object's orbit in order to avoid a collision. Ignorance serves no purpose, and knowledge is power :)

Peace.

Answer 6

My-my-my! Aren't you just full of surprises? This was better than any material I've read or heard in quite some time. And the originality is extremely exceptional. You are definitely equipped with a multifaceted, omnidirectional talent from beyond this world. I'm still cracking up. You have a career as a writer...your mind is completely astonishing.

Answer 7

"Fire and Ice"- Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

P.S. It would be almost impossible to detect an asteroid until it started to glow in the upper atmosphere. Everything near it would crinkle and vaporize like cellophane over a flame.

Answer 8

I beleive it there are actually recorded asteroids heading for our planet.

you wouldn't have to be told because you would prabably see the asteroid coming.

It only takes an asteroid 6 miles wide to destroy all life maybe even the planet.

Or only hope would for it to land in the ocean and even then it has a chance to fllod the world or create a giant tsunami.

Answer 9

That event you speak of WASN'T an asteroid or space ship explosion or even a early nuclear bomb, but Nikola Tesla testing one of his inventions!!! And brother what an 'explosive device' it was!!!! See below article for details . .

Answer 10

You're reading old stuff. The only one that is predicted to be worrisome is in 2880.