Scientists to fire spacecraft at asteroid in Earth defence test

Scientists plan to fire a spacecraft into an asteroid in an effort to prepare for one being on a direct collision course with Earth.

About time, considering what a catastrophic effect it could have on earth, i wonder if this has anything to do witth comet Elenin?

Link

Take it Easy!

reply to post by definity


like wise, agree its overdue,,,

BUT i think they have probably already done this...
just like all the other things we thought we would have done by now...
MOON BASEs,
flying cars,
wrist watch phones
super lasers,
free energy

etc etc etc

they just dont want us playing with their toys...
or their money...

seeya

LOOK! They're talking about us!!

An official said: “The truth is that Elenin has received much more attention than it deserves due to a variety of internet postings that are untrure.”

These news are interesting, certainly the whole Elenin thing may have a lot of people reasonably expecting something of certain effect. I'm personally intrigued by it. My position in ths is it shouldnt suprise us too much to be hit by a huge celestial body, a meteor that could cause several damage. We're exposed to it just by be floating we're we are. And Im pretty sure, following sociological patterns, those with prior knowledge would not reveal the data in fear of major riots and social massive fear reaction.

What if it just slows the asteroids velocity down and our pull draws it on course with us instead? :O or what if they push it and it's path changes and gets closer to us in the future?

Well if they are finally starting trials on ways to get astroids off course there must be a reason behind it with all the budget cuts in that department there is no way they would all off the sudden just start this for no reason. But i doubt it would be for next year it´s way more likely that they are thinking a bit further ahead 5-10 years or so.

This nut i no from the pub told me that Chernobyl is in the book of revelation and so is an asteroid impact. He says it is explicitly told in Revelation. I didn't know Chernobyl was mentioned in Revelation. When he told me Jimi Hendrix made a song called Valleys of Neptune that tell about is also. I told him "you are one sick bastard".

Originally posted by definity
...i wonder if this has anything to do witth comet Elenin?

No, Elenin is not the problem and never has been. It's closest approach to earth is just too great, even accounting for margins of error, it wouldn't come anywhere near earth.

YU55 is the current problem.

st.

Apophis would be a great one to target and it can't get much closer. See, they keep talking in their public statements about 2036 and how it's very unlikely it will hit us. Well, that is true...but they are forming a pattern in recent statements of lying by omission of facts. The following is JPL/NASA's *OWN* Database. Perhaps they might want to check it more often....or perhaps they just wish the public never had access to it in the first place.

Apophis Upcoming Close Passes:

Jan 12, 2012 - .612 au
Mar 05, 2021 - .112 au
Apr 14, 2029 - .0004 au
Mar 29, 2036 - .324 au

See? We're perfectly safe in 2036 because Apophis may very well hit us years earlier. Now that isn't a typo, and the data running for years prior and years forward run in a clean and continious pattern right through the .0004 number.

To save everyone the trouble, that comes to 59,839 Kilometers. The geosync satellites better keep their heads down, it'll scratch paint as it goes over them in 2029. Here are the basics on Apophis:

Name: Apophis.
Official Designation: Asteroid 99942 Apophis (2004 MN4)
Discovered: June 19, 2004
Class: Atena Asteroid
Size: 0.27 Kilometers
Coma/Tail: N/A
Date of Closest Pass: Jan 12, 2012 - Distance 0.612AU at 5 degrees off orbital plane
Date of plane transition: Oct 19 2011 - 1.08 AU - Transition from Neg to Pos plane positions
-Note: As mentioned before, Apophis is just giving us a small hello and look at it. It will be back in 2029 and 2036. Some estimates have it impacting, some have it just kissing our atmosphere. Either way, these dates are the next ones people will focus on after this period passes.

Space is never boring, that is at least one thing that can be said about it.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
It will be back in 2029 and 2036. Some estimates have it impacting, some have it just kissing our atmosphere. Either way, these dates are the next ones people will focus on after this period passes.

I sure hope they nudge it the right way, or they may just shift its orbit enough to cause it to hit us for sure.

reply to post by Malcher


Chernobyl is called or means Wormwood in Ukraine. Wormwood is mentioned in Revelations.

reply to post by defcon5


Well, on the bright side, Apophis is too small to really do anything outside a regional area. I found a more visual impact simulator run by Purdue University that allows all variables of an impact object to be entered, then it shows the calculated effects and distances the given impact would produce.

Earth Impact Effects Simulator

People keep talking about these being capable of massive global damage and terrifying predictions of extinction events. The numbers in these simulators just don't bear it out, unless the simulators are terminally flawed. It's a really REALLY bad day for a hundred or so mile radius in the case of Apophis, simulating a near impossibly steep angle at the near impossible speed of 72 Kilometers a second.

Spaceweather.com has a static list near earth objects that cover the larger ones far past the moon which are passing us all the time. Many of those are as large or larger than Elenin and make Apophis look like a little rock.

This is the JPL interface for just producing a quick, clean list of near earth objects of all shapes and sizes within user defined distance or time frames.

JPL current Near Earth Object lists

reply to post by definity

No, I don't think it is anything to do with Elenin. I'll be interested to see the results though.

The funny thing with Elenin (and I don't think that it is heading right for us) or any other body that might hit Earth is this. If it was really on a collision course, the authorities would play it down to avoid panic whilst taking decisive action on the quiet so they will deny it regardless.

reply to post by SatoriTheory


you've failed to notice that elenin isn't traveling alone. yes elenin wont hit us, but whos to say the other 10-20 near earth objects clustered around it wont.

Originally posted by AboveTheTrees

An official said: “The truth is that Elenin has received much more attention than it deserves due to a variety of internet postings that are untrure.”

These news are interesting, certainly the whole Elenin thing may have a lot of people reasonably expecting something of certain effect.

If NASA had said the internet postings about Elenin were untrue, I could at least sleep tonight. But I don't even know what "untrure" means! Only kidding, I'll sleep just fine tonight.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Earth Impact Effects Simulator

People keep talking about these being capable of massive global damage and terrifying predictions of extinction events. The numbers in these simulators just don't bear it out, unless the simulators are terminally flawed. It's a really REALLY bad day for a hundred or so mile radius in the case of Apophis, simulating a near impossibly steep angle at the near impossible speed of 72 Kilometers a second.

If it impacts the Pacific Ocean, the tsunami effects could extend well beyond 100 miles. The calculator has a lot of uncertainty in the tsunami effects when I used a typical ocean depth of 3800m:

Apophis
Dense rock 3000
90 degrees
72 km/s
water depth 3800m
distance 100km

I got this for the tsunami effect:

The impact-generated tsunami wave arrives approximately 9.77 minutes after impact.
Tsunami wave amplitude is between: 8.81 meters ( = 28.9 feet) and 113 meters ( = 370 feet).

If you take 113 meters, and divide it by 8.81 meters, then square the result, that gives you the difference in power of the tsunami between the low end and the high end of the estimate, which is a factor of 164. In other words, the tsunami can do 164 times more damage at the high end of that estimate, than at the low end of that estimate. I don't know why the uncertainty is so large, but it could be a very bad day for anyone living near the Pacific ocean coastline if it impacts the Pacific and the higher end estimate is correct. And since the Earth is mostly water, using an ocean impact at an average ocean depth isn't a bad guess, though you're right that the 72km/s velocity is unlikely.

Talk about a red rag to a bull...

Just when I thought the Elenin thing was dead.

They say blowing them up would just cause a rain of asteroids. Well wouldnt the atmosphere destroy many of the small fragments? Would'nt it be better to have a few cities wiped out than have a global calamity like major tsunami's or atmosphere being blacked out in dust.

Originally posted by Xeven
Would'nt it be better to have a few cities wiped out than have a global calamity like major tsunami's or atmosphere being blacked out in dust.

Maybe TPTB want the tsunami? I'm not one to subscribe to the de-population theory, but I guess you never really know.

st.

Originally posted by Spacedman13
Well if they are finally starting trials on ways to get astroids off course there must be a reason behind it with all the budget cuts in that department there is no way they would all off the sudden just start this for no reason. But i doubt it would be for next year it´s way more likely that they are thinking a bit further ahead 5-10 years or so.

They aren't just starting this for no reason. It has been something that has been discussed for years. The main reason is probably the 1,241 potentially hazardous asteroids. None of the known near earth objects are on a collision course but they are discovering new ones all the time. It is only prudent to have a plan should the earth ever be in danger of a collision.

reply to post by definity


Of ALL the times to do this why NOW has this idea came up and not 10 20 30 5 years ago why not in 2 years WHY NOW?
This is interesting , still makes no sense as to why now

Originally posted by Ophiuchus 13
This is interesting , still makes no sense as to why now

My guess is either the 'closeness' of YU55 has spooked them. Or, they are dropping hints, as in, "it's going to happen".

st.