Asteroid to buzz Earth Sunday

Hm, this is the latest in a string of asteroid fly-by's apparently, and without much coverage. could this be a prelude to a "big one"?
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Asteroid to buzz Earth Sunday
Just in time for April Fools' Day, but it's no joke and is size of passenger jet

An asteroid the size of a passenger jet will zoom close by Earth on Sunday just in time for April Fools' Day, but it has no chance of hitting the Earth, NASA says.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

reply to post by CB328


...and if it did make impact...I would think most of it would disintegrate upon it's entry in the atmosphere and anything that did make it through would probably make a pretty neat little fizzly splash in the ocean.

reply to post by CB328


Perhaps it is just me(as I haven't really done any digging into the subject) but it does seem that we are detecting a larger number of these NEOs just short of their fly-by times. Have we just been missing them due to insufficient detection? Or maybe there are more objects being directed towards the Earth?

I honestly know nothing of the subject, just looking for an explanation of sorts.

I need a picture to confirm this "story," more simply, -an animation, as posted by MSNBC, will not cut it as definitive proof of such object. I could add an asteroid to their program (no proof needed) and have it pass as real, even if its not. People buy into "doomsday scenario" all too easily in this day of age.


Any independant skywatchers care to post a picture of this "passenger jet sized" asteroid flying by Terra? As my kitten says, "prove it!" ...a NASA "animation" isn't proof.... simulation doesn't mean proof.

ETA: Further examination into links provided doesn't tell much more other than a red object. It could be close, it could a 50 AU away...

Happy April Fool's?

yeah its there 96,000 miles from earth


ssd.jpl.nasa.gov...

reply to post by DisasterButton


Have you seen the movie Armageddon? There is a line by Billy Bob Thorton who plays Dan Truman from NASA:

President: What is this thing?
Truman: It's an asteroid, sir.
President: How big are we talking?
Scientist: Sir, our best estimate is 97.6 billion-
Truman: It's the size of Texas, Mr. President.
President: Dan, we didn't see this thing coming?
Truman: Well, our object collision budget's about a million dollars a year. That allows us to track about three percent of the sky, and begging your pardon sir, but it's a big-ass sky.
Gen. Kimsey: And the ones this morning?
Truman: Uh, those were nothing. Those were the size of basketballs and Volkswagons, things like that.

Note the line in bold

Originally posted by DisasterButton
reply to post by CB328

 

Perhaps it is just me(as I haven't really done any digging into the subject) but it does seem that we are detecting a larger number of these NEOs just short of their fly-by times. Have we just been missing them due to insufficient detection? Or maybe there are more objects being directed towards the Earth?

Astronomers are detecting NEO's all the time......every so often one of them will hit Earth.

One was detected in 2006, barely 24 hours before it struck the desert in Nevada.

reply to post by Char-Lee


That is the same animation program that was provided courtesy of MSNBC link above.
Same program with comet Elenin, remember? ...And man was that bad boy a disaster.....

Hey people reports all over New Zealand of asteroid sightings. Will try find a link.
Second

Originally posted by FearEater
reply to post by Char-Lee

 

That is the same animation program that was provided courtesy of MSNBC link above.
Same program with comet Elenin, remember? ...And man was that bad boy a disaster.....

Just wanted to show the legit source for the asteroid, some did ask.