Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

2004 MN4, Even Higher Probability

Posted by timothy on from the keep-your-will-in-order dept.

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."

11 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!

      --
      Find free books.
  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. 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.

  4. 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...
    ;-)

  5. 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
  6. 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.

  7. 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.
  8. Re:Exciting! by zmooc · · Score: 5, Funny

    One more reason for not having kids:)

    --
    0x or or snor perron?!
  9. 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!