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New Asteroid Becomes Earth's Biggest Threat
inexion wrote to mention a story on PhysOrg stating that we're all doomed. "A space rock capable of sub-continent scale devastation has about a one in 1,000 risk of colliding with Earth early next century, the highest of any known asteroid, watchers said on Thursday. The rock, 2004 VD17, is about 500 metres (yards) long and has a mass of nearly a billion tonnes, which -- if it were to impact -- would deliver 10,000 megatonnes of energy, equivalent to all the world's nuclear weapons. Spotted on November 27 2004, VD 17 was swiftly identified as rock that potentially crossed Earth's orbit, with a 1 in 3,000 risk of collision on May 4 2102."
Best to watch the whole thing with Mercury as the center, not the Sun. Much more entertaining.
What those who want activist courts fear is rule by the people.
Just paint half of it white. The difference in light pressure from the Sun would change its orbit usefully over this length of time.
Don't just stand there, get that other dog!