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2004 MN4, Even Higher Probability

phreakuencies writes "Worried since the recent post about the MN4 2004 asteroid, I added a bookmark to its 'impact risk' section at NASA. The asteroid started as having a 1/233 probability of hitting earth. Later it raised to 1/63. Daily computations made on 25 Dec raised its chances up to 1/45. Optimists can now say it has a 97.8% probability of missing earth." And Veteran writes " NeoDys offers the 'Orbfit' software package (source code released under the GPL) which can be used to get a pre-release view of the situation with Asteroid 2004MN4."

30 of 524 comments (clear)

  1. Which Comes First by husker_man · · Score: 3, Funny

    Which will come first, 2004 MN4 asteroid, or
    Duke Nukem Forever?

    1. Re:Which Comes First by bcrowell · · Score: 3, Funny

      Daily computations made on 25 Dec raised it's chances up to 1/45.
      And assuming it does destroy modern civilization, then we only have 25 years left to get through to the people who still don't understand the difference between its and it's. Time for a crash program!

  2. Whew by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    At first I thought it says " it has a 97.8% probability of hitting earth"

    Good thing i read it over again.

    1. Re:Whew by momerath2003 · · Score: 4, Funny
      At first I thought it says " it has a 97.8% probability of hitting earth"

      Good thing i read it over again.


      Good thing! If you hadn't, we'd be in some big trouble.
      --
      I had but a simple dream, to destroy all humans.
  3. Nuke Dukem Forever by sci50514 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Come on, bring on the jokes about Nuke Dukem Forever. :)

  4. 10 Bucks on Florida by GeekDork · · Score: 4, Funny

    'nuff said

    --

    Fight hunger. Filet a politician and send him to a 3rd world country of your choice.

  5. We're doomed! by Quixote · · Score: 3, Funny
    In 29 hours, the impact probability has gone from 0.015873 to 0.022.

    If this trend continues, expect an impact in another 4629 hours, or about 193 days!

    It's going to be one hot summer...
    ;-)

  6. Re: Seriously, you might as well relax. by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Funny


    > You know in all those movies where some guy, sometimes just an amateur scientist, sees something in his telescope/seismograph/thermometer/disease-modeling -software that all the high-up professionals miss, and rushes in to warn the government?

    > That doesn't happen.

    You're with the agency that makes those guys disappear, aren't you.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  7. Wagering on Survival by spywarearcata.com · · Score: 2, Funny

    I, for one, will give 100,000-to-1 odds that the favorite, earth, will survive 2004 MN4. Paypal accepted.

  8. Re:I can see my house from here! by UniverseIsADoughnut · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah, Han and the gang are going to trick Darth into moving the Deathstar right into the path of it. Then the DoD will claim it to be a Two for One event.

  9. Ohio by katharsis83 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Considering the 2004 US Presidential Elections, it'd be pretty damn ironic if it hit Ohio.

    Wonder how the Christian fundamentalists in America would spind THAT.

  10. Re:Party like it's 2099 by zoobot · · Score: 2, Funny

    I guess I don't need to worry about my social security afterall!!!

  11. Re:In case of /. effect.. by paylett · · Score: 2, Funny
    1 in 15?

    That calculation has a 1 in 1 chance of being wrong.

    --

    Believing something doesn't make it true. Not believing something doesn't make it false.

  12. Re:I can see my house from here! by jabex · · Score: 3, Funny

    Pfft. Before that can ever happen, I think we all know that the Stargate team would be able to send the asteroid into hyperspace for just a few seconds, coming out on the other side of the planet (and thus missing it).

    --
    Like Teddy with an elephant gun.
  13. Re:I can see my house from here! by UniverseIsADoughnut · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dude, Stargate isn't real.

    In all seriousness we all know Captain Kirk will find a Klingon bird of pray, fly around the sun to go back in time to get some Wales and snicker bars, then fly out to the asteroid and offer the Snickers bars to the asteroid to get it to not destroy us, while scotty cooks up some wonderful roasted whale to celebrate the saving of the earth.

  14. Note to self... by rwyoder · · Score: 2, Funny

    First thing Monday morning, talk to bank about refinancing house with a 25-year balloon mortgage.

  15. at least it's useful for something by schmu_20mol · · Score: 2, Funny

    Crivens! At least we now know why to welcome our new absinth overlord that day.

    --
    "Nae Kin! Nae Quin! Nae laird! Nae master! We willna be fooled again!"
  16. 1 in 2! AAAAAA!!!!! by helix400 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Look, the chances are now 1 in 2!!!

    http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/ip?0.5e-0

    Actually, it's not. The URL just lets you plug in any scientific notation number. Hope I didn't alarm you too much. =)

  17. Re:Exciting! by zmooc · · Score: 5, Funny

    One more reason for not having kids:)

    --
    0x or or snor perron?!
  18. Obligatory Simpsons Quote by usermilk · · Score: 2, Funny

    "What's everyone so worked up about? So there's a comet, big deal. It'll burn up in our atmosphere and what's ever left will be no bigger than a Chihuahua's head." - Homer Simpson, 2F11, Bart's Comet

  19. Re:Let's say that the thing will hit by Fahrenheit+450 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Meh, what do I care? I live in Albuquerque...

    Bring on the tidal waves, bitches!

    --
    -30-
  20. Well, we are all doomed... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Over the hill Bruce Willis won't be able to save us this time...

  21. Re:Maybe I'm a sick puppy.., by sw155kn1f3 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I agree. Only external threat is able to unite the whole Earth. Sad, but I believe it's true.

    --
    - Arwen, I'm your father, Agent Smith.
    - Well, you're just Smith, but my father is Aerosmith!
  22. Even More Humiliation by soloport · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not so! Most of the Earth's surface is OCEAN. That means there's a 2/3 probability it will hit the ocean.

    Oh, great. Just what we need. Even FEWER blue states. Terrific.

  23. Re:Not too big a deal, I think by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    'It'd sure suck for everyone within 100km of the impact site'

    Dude, it's above your house..

  24. Re:I can see my house from here! by ocelotbob · · Score: 2, Funny

    We'll get some real big speakers and broadcast their voice. The accents will be so inscrutable, that we'll confuse the asteroid into reversing its course.

    --

    Marxism is the opiate of dumbasses

  25. Re:Party like it's 2099 by yali · · Score: 2, Funny
    does anyone have any idea at what percentage probablility of impact it would move up to the orange (threatening) section of the scale?

    I think it would take an election.

  26. Re:Maybe I'm a sick puppy.., by Amorpheus_MMS · · Score: 2, Funny

    Just be glad that Bush won't be the president at the time. If it did hit, in US soil no less, then he'd start pouring billions per month into NASA for the development of spacecraft to fight the alien 'terrorists' who threw that asteroid at America.

    Clearly it was the bugs!

  27. Re:Party like it's 2099 by LearnToSpell · · Score: 2, Funny

    When it is going to hit (if it does) is known down to minutes NOW. That and knowing which way it is coming from allows us to exclude half the planet from worries other than climatic. As someone has already pointed out, that means both NY city and Texas are safe from this rock.

    Sweet. I'm safe. Next article!

  28. actually, it has a 98.7 impact probablility by heby · · Score: 2, Funny

    check it out here.

    that must be the lamest cgi script i've seen in my life...