Astroids the size of a Mcdonalds?!!...?

Question

Someone just told me they saw on the news that an astroid the size of mcdonalds was coming towards the earth within the next like 20 years...did anyone see this if so what news station or is my friend just messin with me lol

Answer 1

The only observed asteroid that has any chance of hitting the earth and could even be remotely dangerous is scheduled to make the rendezvous sometime in the 2800s...mark your calendar.

Based on current predicted asteroid populations and current observed populations, if an asteroid were to hit earth (even a planet killer) we statistically wouldn't know about it until just before it hit.

Answer 2

Probably old news about the Apophis asteroid.

"(99942) Apophis (previously known by its provisional designation 2004 MN4) is a near-Earth asteroid that caused a brief period of concern in December 2004 because initial observations indicated a relatively large probability that it would strike the Earth in 2029. Additional observations provided improved predictions that eliminated the possibility of an impact on Earth or the Moon in 2029. However there remained a possibility that during the 2029 close encounter with Earth, Apophis would pass through a "gravitational keyhole", a precise region in space no more than about 400 meters across, that would set up a future impact on April 13, 2036. This possibility kept the asteroid at Level 1 on the Torino impact hazard scale until August 2006."

"Additional observations of the trajectory of Apophis revealed the "keyhole" would likely be missed and on August 5, 2006, Apophis was lowered to a Level 0 on the Torino Scale. As of October 19, 2006 the impact probability for April 13, 2036 is estimated at 1 in 45,000. An additional impact date in 2037 has been identified, however the impact probability for that encounter is 1 in 12.3 million."

"Based upon the observed brightness, Apophis's length was estimated at 415 m (1350 ft); a more refined estimate based on spectroscopic observations at NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii by Binzel, Rivkin, Bus, and Tokunaga (2005) is 350 m (1150 ft). Its mass is estimated to be 4.6×1010 kg."

"Since the odds of impact are known to be very low, the possible effects of an impact are largely irrelevant. However, the initial reports resulted in widespread discussion on many Internet forums, including armchair speculation about exactly where Apophis (then known only as 2004 MN4) would hit and what would happen when it did."

Answer 3

I'm sure a few asteroids much smaller than Mcdonalds are going to be crashing into earth in the next 20 years but I don't know of asteroids larger than Mcdonalds that are. So I wouldn't worry to much. The size of Mcdonalds as compared to killer asteroids is rather small.

Answer 4

At this point in time there are no known asteroids with any significant probability of hitting the Earth.

Answer 5

DISCLAIMER: I am not an astronomer. I took a couple of astronomy classes. So I don't know very much astronomy, but I don't think an asteroid that size would even make it through the atmosphere. And even if it did, there wouldn't be much left of it. Certainly not enough to be of any real risk to us as a species even if it did strike land.

At least, I think that's right.

Answer 6

Your friend heard it wrong. An Australian scientist said that there are as many scientists looking for asteroids as workers at a McDonalds, meaning not many.

Answer 7

Don't worry, we have been around for a while,but sooner or latter its curtains.If Jupiter was not out there,we would not be here .

Answer 8

yeah i heard about it. it might miss earth but even it does its gonna come back...