View Full Version : Earth to Get Huge Asteroid Flyby Next Week
source here (http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3046)
On Monday, July 3, an asteroid almost a half-mile or so in diameter will make a close pass of Earth. Apollo Asteroid 2004 XP14, discovered in December of 2004, is classified as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid," because of its close orbit to Earth. It is called an Apollo asteroid because the term Apollo is used to describe all asteroids that have Earth-crossing orbits. 2004 XP14 will be the closest to the Earth late Sunday for people on the west coast of the U.S. Experienced sky watchers with a decent telescope might be able to get a brief glimpse at the asteroid as it flies by Earth late Sunday evening. Space.com reports:
The latest calculations show that 2004 XP14 will pass closest to Earth at 04:25 UT on July 3 (12:25 a.m. EDT or 9:25 p.m. PDT on July 2). The asteroid’s distance from Earth at that moment will be 268,624-miles (432,308 km), or just 1.1 times the Moon’s average distance from Earth.
Scientists hope to learn more about the asteroid's size and shape after they "ping" it with radar. More accurate calculations and observations will allow scientists to gather better information on the asteroid's orbit.
thunderstruck!
06-28-2006, 11:58 AM
Imagine the panic if we were told an asteroid was scheduled to hit earth in 10 years.:p:
STEvil
06-28-2006, 08:03 PM
if we know its 10 years out we can probably divert it relatively easily.
Hell-Fire
06-28-2006, 08:12 PM
There is an asteroid scheduled to hit earth in approx. 883 years. Sounds like a long time, and in terms of a humans life it is, but on the scale of solar time its a blink.
n00b 0f l337
06-28-2006, 08:14 PM
Technically we can't die if we never see or learn of any asteroid coming at Earth.
thunderstruck!
06-28-2006, 08:27 PM
There is an asteroid scheduled to hit earth in approx. 883 years. Sounds like a long time, and in terms of a humans life it is, but on the scale of solar time its a blink.
I like the sonic boom in your sig m8.
n00b 0f l337
06-28-2006, 08:32 PM
Even then, the larger planets in our solar system divert almost every meteor of a good size away from us.
Hell-Fire
06-29-2006, 03:07 AM
I like the sonic boom in your sig m8.
Thank you sir. ;)
Even then, the larger planets in our solar system divert almost every meteor of a good size away from us.
True, but they have been watching this meteor for a long time now. They use software to calculate the orbits off of the gravity disruptions caused by passing planets/sun. They are nearly 100% positive the event will occur. Unless something catastrophic happens to the human race before then, we should easily be able to do something about it.
einCe
06-29-2006, 03:32 AM
Technically we can't die if we never see or learn of any asteroid coming at Earth.
um what?
nattoNrice
06-29-2006, 04:15 AM
I think he's trying to refer to Hiesenburg's Uncertainty Principal. If he is, it's a cute thought but it does'nt apply to this.
I remember that 883yrs time thing.... wasn't it like the year 287* something? Nuts.
Entity_Razer
06-29-2006, 04:56 AM
Even then, the larger planets in our solar system divert almost every meteor of a good size away from us.
shoemaker levy 9 anyone? :)
it's true saturnus etc has taken asteroids earth size for us. imagen if that thing would ever dissapear(be destroyed by a BIG asteroids... in short: earth would be screwed :p:
Hell-Fire
06-29-2006, 07:29 AM
I think he's trying to refer to Hiesenburg's Uncertainty Principal. If he is, it's a cute thought but it does'nt apply to this.
I remember that 883yrs time thing.... wasn't it like the year 287* something? Nuts.
Yeh, something along those lines. I can't recall the exact date, but somewhere in the 28** area.
phelan1777
06-30-2006, 02:54 PM
WE"RE ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL GOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAA DIE!
well one day anyway.
Maybe we need a cataclismic event to get the governments on this rock to pull their heads out of their ass's
Trice
06-30-2006, 04:18 PM
The ones that suck are the ones that we dont know about and cant see yet....
Thrilla
06-30-2006, 04:40 PM
Isn't a big technology improvement overdue? I remember seeing a chart, forgot which, I guess if we can control fusion it'll be fun, fusion batteries, last for 20 years no recharge needed.
sofarfrome
07-03-2006, 04:15 PM
is there a cult out there somewhere getting ready to hop aboard? Hope so, it is time to thin the herd.:cool:
STEvil
07-03-2006, 09:14 PM
Feel the burn ;)
edit - copy/paste into browser to see! http://70.86.201.113/imageserv2/stilltemporary/PBF039BCSpaceLove.html
hipogtr
07-04-2006, 08:04 AM
is there a cult out there somewhere getting ready to hop aboard? Hope so, it is time to thin the herd.:cool:
LOL! Herd mentality FTW! :toast:
veryhumid
07-05-2006, 05:15 AM
did anyone see it? are there any pics around?
AzraelDarkangel
07-08-2006, 08:41 AM
I wonder if they would actually tell us if we were likely to die from an asteroid in say 10yrs or less. Imagine what people would do! Have fun maxing out all your credit cards and such....really though, it would be insane! People would go nuts!
alexio
07-08-2006, 08:52 AM
I wonder if they would actually tell us if we were likely to die from an asteroid in say 10yrs or less. Imagine what people would do! Have fun maxing out all your credit cards and such....really though, it would be insane! People would go nuts!
I think we shouldn't worry too much. We currently have the technology to destroy huge astroids and if it is neccesary you can be damn sure the US and/or other industrial countries will take care of it.
Surely they wouldn't tell us in advance if there would be any chance the operation may fail. But even then we still have hobby astrologists that will warn us a year in advance or so.