Will a comet hit the earth this year?

Question

Lots in the space aroud earth

Answer 1

Yes!! the only way to save yourself is to move to Canada. Comets don't like cold weather and will typically avoid the poles only hitting the center of the earth.

Answer 2

That's the million dollar question one could hit us tomorrow!

Most comets are discovered after they pass the orbit of the Earth and their tale gets very large.

Comet Shoemaker-Leavy Nine was absorbed by the planet Jupiter. Its gravity tides broke the comet into pieces, but each piece still hit with the force of several billion tons of TNT. If that comet had hit the earth then Mankind would have gone the way of the dinosaurs.

There are megatons of comets and asteroids out there that are coming close to the earth, these NEO (Near Earth Orbiting Objects) will come to close to the earth and eventually one will hit us with an impact that will destroy most of the life on the planet. The chances of this happening are 100%, but it could be next week or in the next billion years.

Currently, there are no known NEOs on a collision course with the planet earth. The Asteroid Apophis will approach the earth close enough to go under our satellites in the year 2026. There is a 1 in 35 thousand chance that it might hit a specific orbit that will bring it about in the year 2036 to hit the Earth, so stay tuned.

If you are worried about the chances of a comet or asteroid collision then I suggest you look into the Space Guard program. Inspired by Arthur C. Clarke, this program is searching for NEOs that might propose a threat and are looking for ways to move those NEOs off a destructive course. If you discover them at a distance then you have more time and the more time you have the less of a course change will be needed. It is possible, as one astronaut proposed, to position a spacecraft near an NEO object and use the gravity field of the ship (minute as it is) to make the minor course change thus saving the planet.

These websites will give you more information on NEOs: http://www.phy6.org/stargaze/IstarFAQs.htm
http://www.rockprophecy.com/unprepared.html

Answer 3

There is a lot of small debris and objects in space around Earth, but nothing large enough (that we know of, and believe me astronomers are always looking) that could do any serious damage to the Earth.
Comets are usually very visible (at least in telescopes) for about a year or so before they get anywhere close to the Earth's orbit, so astronomers would know in advance of any comet heading our way.
There are people that study all the NEOs (Near Earth Objects) that could pose a threat to us now or in the future.

Answer 4

Dan S is right---it is still possible that a small comet would not be detected until a week or so before it hit the Earth, even though we've got lots of telescopes and satellites looking.

But such events are rare, and we don't know of anything on a collision course right now.

Answer 5

A comet might not, but hundreds of meteors hit the Earth every year.....most of them too small to even detect.

Answer 6

No, no comets heading our way. Nor any asteroids either.

Answer 7

no. none will....
its not bad to worry, but NASA has discovered one that might come really close to colliding with the earth, but they are taking precautions

Answer 8

no, unless there is a massive cover up involving millions of people who have already built an underground city, we would know about it

Answer 9

lol whaaat :)
hope not

Answer 10

nope i dont think so...i hope not...