Asteriod to hit Earth in 2036

People laugh about the story of Chicken Little who cries out that the sky is falling. But a group of astronomers has warned that something like that may very well happen before this half-century is out. They have discovered an asteroid nearly a quarter-mile wide that they think might slam into the earth 30 years from now and are urging immediate action by governments around the world to start planning programs to avert that happening.

Woohoo better call up Bruce Willis and get thoses shuttles ready to go and Drill on this monster.....

But really if this thing is a real threat with all this time to do something, what can we do?

Link

peace

I wouldn't worry. The world's gonna end in 2012 anyway.

In the unlikely chance that the world doesn't end in 2012, I'm sure that they'll have some sort of new technology by then.

Either way, I wouldn't worry.

Well, I would be interested in finding out what people are planning to do about it now so that we will be prepared in the future. Personally, I believe we will have the ability to attach thrusters to the asteroid if it gets too close. Hopefully we get the math right and don't actually improve the chances of it hitting earth.

Your quote did use the words "might" slam into the earth.. not will.. Just like the 6 million mile wide acid cloud racing at us at the speed of light will supposedly hit us.. but.. who knows

I don't know...NASA has been known to drop a zero now and then when it's most inconvenient....so I'm hoping someone is double-checking the math, hehe....

I'm sure we'll do all we can if needed, but in the end, we all gotta go sometime, hehe...but we'll fight it tooth and nail.

True.. we all do have to go sooner or later.. personally.. I'd prefer it to be later.. and.. I would like to go on my own... not with the rest of the worlds population... But thats just me

Don't worry boyz if we do have to drill that Motha I'll be the first to Volunteer

Nice but how big is it?

1/4 mile wide travel at fast as it is if it hits it will hurt remember they dont have to be big if they have the speed and mass





we'll do something kewl with this rock b4 then no worries hehe

Bring it on!

Look at the rate of technological advancement we have experienced in the last 30 years. Now, imagine the next 30. Not so scared of a big rock now are ya? I'm sure our ingenuity will come up with something to save us, and if not...well, at least we can't blame anyone but God for our destruction. Call it just another natural disaster to thin our ranks.
I cant say I blame him.

Have no fear citizens... congress is on it.

Astronaut Asks Congress to Investigate Threatening Asteroid [from: Space.com]

The asteroid, named 2004 MN4, was found last year. It orbits the Sun but crosses the path of Earth. In December, preliminary observations showed it might strike in 2029, according to NASA scientists. It briefly had the highest odds ever assigned to a possible collision. Further investigation ruled out the 2029 impact scenario, but scientists cannot yet rule out an impact in 2036.
The odds of a collision in 2036 are about 1-in-10,000, Schweickart says.


SPACE.com was provided a copy of the paper Schweickart will present. In it, he carries out an informal analysis of the situation. He notes that the asteroid will be mostly out of view from 2006 to 2012. When it re-emerges, fresh observation will likely reduce the 2036 impact chance to zero, he said.

"However, there is a slim chance that we will not be able to draw this conclusion and that an impact will still be possible," he writes.

"One of the first things I’m calling for is validation and checking of the analysis I’ve gone through and the conclusions that fall out of my work," Schweickart told SPACE.com.

Schweickart heads up the B612 Foundation, which since 2003 has advocated for more research and action to protect Earth from stray asteroids.

...[snip]...

Should his analysis prove correct after formal study, Schweickart says serious consideration should be given to first placing a radio transponder on the asteroid in order to better track its whereabouts.

...[snip]...

Astronomers agree that sooner or later Earth will be struck by a damaging asteroid. While one could sneak up on us any day, the overwhelming odds are that any potential significant impact will be known years in advance.

...[snip]...

Still, there are no formal lines of communication between NASA and the White House to handle an imminent threat. And there is no U.S. agency to which the issue of protection of the public and property from the impact of near-Earth asteroids is assigned, Schweickart points out. Who would decide on whether and how to deflect an incoming threat? What agencies would be mobilized to deal with an impact?

The U.S. Congress should take action and assign that responsibility, he said.

"In general, I am calling upon them is to address the overall issue of responsibility for near-Earth object activity in the U.S. government, which does not exist right now," Schweickart said.

...[snip]...

The object is estimated to be roughly 1,000 feet (320 meters) in diameter. Were it to hit the planet, it would not cause global devastation but would generate considerable local or regional damage, experts say.

"This is not a marginal asteroid," Schweickart said.

On April 13, 2029, 2004 MN4 will be about 22,600 miles (36,350 kilometers) from Earth's center. That is just below the altitude of geosynchronous satellites.

The extremely rare event will be visible from certain parts of Earth. The flyby will change the orbit of the asteroid and create "a low, but real possibility" that it will return to hit Earth seven years later on April 13, 2036, Schweickart advised.

Odds are in our favor that this will be a non-event it seems. However most scientists agree that an impact is certain, given a long enough timeline, so it makes sense to have somebody working on a "what if?" scenario. Given enough warning i'm sure we'd figure out how to deflect an asteroid... the issue is that many earth crossing asteroids remain unidentified. The odds of us detecting an asteroid on a collision course with earth in time to do something about it aren't good i would think. So far as asteroid MN4 goes, "they" seem to think it highly unlikely to impact earth.... of course "they" would say that now wouldn't they?

They are thinking about creating a giant tractor beam kind of thing and use gravity to pull it away from the course of earth. Its in the latest edition of popular science magazine, I think.

Originally posted by DaFunk13
Bring it on!

Look at the rate of technological advancement we have experienced in the last 30 years.

Let's see what it was 30 years ago... moon flights had been done and space exploration wasn't anymore media sexy.

And then to now: we're still barely capable to going farther than our planet, all manned flights have been done in low orbits where astronauts have been protected from majority of radiation by Earth's magnetic field.
Sure there has been some slow RC cars rolling around Mars but that's about it.



As to what 320m wide object is capable to doing much would depend on its composition, solid chunk of iron is always more capable to descending to surface and it has more kinetic energy because of greater mass.

But let's take soft scenario with pile of rubble, total energy release would still be in class of considerable part of world's nuclear arsenal...
While three miles wide hole in the ground might soud worse than airblast (like in Tunguska) it's actually lesser evil because explosion in say 10km (6 miles) would greatly boost shockwave's effectiveness and range, also fireball's IR radiation would be able to burn wider area because of bigger starting altitude.
But considering better case, therefore ground impact...
What 3rd degree burns up to 80 km (50mile) distance sounds?
Or shockwave rolling over majority of trees up to ~55 km (34 miles) distance?

Thats about it?

Dude, I am no expert, but look at something simple like the automobiles evolution in 30 years. Am I to believe the space program hasnt advanced since the apollo missions?

We havent gone further with actual astronauts for reasons you and I will probably never know. Or maybe we have...

Ok.. so in the odd event that this thing pummels us.. 1. It's not going to matter, we either wont see it coming and not even know it hit us... or 2. There's nothing we can do about it right now anyway, so dont put your lives on hold

Let me ask you do you worry about tommorow if you dont and your worried about this asteroids you gotta get your priorties straight you could die tommorow yet your worried about somethin that might happen in 30 years. i would give this another 10 years that way we can get a better read on this hole situation, maybe we should get ready maybe we shouldnt im just saying that theres as good a probabilty that you'll die tommorow before an asteroids gonna hit.

the odds are to low for any worry especially apost about it, the odds of it hitting us are extreamlly low i have a better chance of being hit by a car...but i dont worry about it (enough said)

The world will end in 2012? Isn't that when the Mayans' calandar ends? Well 2012 is six years away from now. Do you ever wonder that technology is making us achieve more things decisively. As technology advances the world is changing radically. We are trying to catch up to the modern gadgets as much as we can. As more we accustom technology, the more we rely on it. We as human beings rely on technology a lot. I'm not saying you shouldn't. Technology is a great and powerful tool for acheivement and destruction. We use technology a lot to build our houses, cars, etc. When we get stranded on a desert island or island, etc. We will not be aware of the provisions and water we have in our surroundings. We will start to hallucinate a water fountain and vending machines instead of having to look water inside cactus plants or collect condensation from trees and scarce plants. when we invent technology we should not forget the survival skills and other methods of survival without technology because we rely on technology a lot, don't you agree? Well I'd just like to share my opinion on technology and us. thank you for reading.

Originally posted by Ox
Your quote did use the words "might" slam into the earth.. not will.. Just like the 6 million mile wide acid cloud racing at us at the speed of light will supposedly hit us.. but.. who knows

Hmm i did more research...Dont worry, that was on Weakly News, which means the "10 million wide acid cloud" is fake

[edit on 7-7-2006 by soul_failure]

Originally posted by mashup
I wouldn't worry. The world's gonna end in 2012 anyway.

In the unlikely chance that the world doesn't end in 2012, I'm sure that they'll have some sort of new technology by then.

Either way, I wouldn't worry.

omg not 2012 its gonna be 2007 sept 23 when the zombies come.

oo and about the meteor i herd their makeing this rocket thing that pulls the meteor of course with gravit or something