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Asteroid Due for Close Approach

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the ka-FOOOM dept.

mernil writes "BBC Reports "A giant space rock was set to whizz past the Earth on Monday under the close scrutiny of astronomers. The mountain-sized object had been classed as a "potentially hazardous asteroid", but scientists say there was no danger of a collision with Earth. [...] At this time calculations suggested it would be about 268,873 miles (432,709km) from the Earth, only 1.1 times the planet's distance from the Moon."

42 comments

  1. It's the foot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Lay on your back and let them take your surrender and they'll stop doing this.

  2. lunar runin by escay · · Score: 4, Interesting

    so is there a chance that it will hit the moon?

    --
    My sig has been answered.
    1. Re:lunar runin by Ant+P. · · Score: 1

      Or worse, pull it off orbit.

    2. Re:lunar runin by Doc+Ri · · Score: 1

      Probably not. Just because an object passes by at roughly the distance to the moon does not mean it comes anywhere close to the moon. There are two more dimensions, you know.

      --
      617B3B7F7E7C7D7F00EOF
    3. Re:lunar runin by SEWilco · · Score: 1

      Two more dimensions and time. The Moon ain't there at this time.

  3. NASA by jonging · · Score: 0

    Neat. NASA has a "Near Earth Object" program!

  4. We're fine... by smaerd · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... I mean, I can shoot those babies down no problem... unless one of those annoying UFOs shows up.. I can never shoot those fast enough. *duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh duh-duh*

  5. We'll be fine. by ScentCone · · Score: 4, Funny

    The universe would not allow earth's civilization to end until after Pixar releases "Ratatooie." Otherwise, the cosmos will not yet have been properly balanced, in terms of Really Good Jokes About French Cooking(tm).

    Also, Capital One won't let civilization end as long as I'm carrying a balance, so we can rely their Astroid Defense System, which works 21.5% even more than necessary. So, there's redundancy.

    --
    Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
  6. Already Passed. by sglider · · Score: 5, Informative

    This, as Adam Sandler would say, is news that would have been better if it had been brought to my attention yesterday!!!!!.

    The article from CNN talks about it already whizzing past.

    --
    War isn't about who's right. It's about who's left.
    1. Re:Already Passed. by fusto99 · · Score: 0

      It also mentioned that it is going to pass by 10 more times over the course of this century but none are expected to come close to hitting the Earth.

  7. Bit late .... by stuckinarut · · Score: 3, Informative

    The asteroid has already passed at 04:44 GMT across North America

    1. Re:Bit late .... by canuck57 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The asteroid has already passed at 04:44 GMT across North America

      Shaved past North America is closer to the point. 268,873 miles is nothing in cosmic terms and no doubt close enough for earths magenetic field to influence it. This was a close call.

  8. hehehehe...whizz... by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 1

    Hey, at least it's not gonna whizz on the Earth.

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    This guy's the limit!
  9. Scale map by linvir · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've tried to knock together a bit of a scale map to help visualise some of the proportions.

    1. Re:Scale map by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 1

      Thats an awfully clever maap you've made.

      How on earth did you know I was wearing my blue sombrero today?

      --
      liqbase :: faster than paper
    2. Re:Scale map by linvir · · Score: 1

      Google Maaps

    3. Re:Scale map by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 1

      It needs a scale measured in "Libraries of Congress" or "Volkswagens."

    4. Re:Scale map by bar-agent · · Score: 1

      There's a diagram that gives a better sense of proportion here. There is a lot of room between us and the moon.

      Just for kicks, here's the Moon vs. Phobos. The asteroid in question is about 1/30 the size of Phobos. Now imagine that asteroid in the Wikipedia diagram.

      Space is big. Really big.

      I think you'll agree that we had nothing to worry about.

      (P.S. You can also see the Moon vs. Unicron ibid. :) )

      --
      i'd hit it so hard, if you pulled me out you'd be the king of britain [bash.org]
  10. Quick Tonight by threeofnine · · Score: 0

    Hmm, we are quick tonight aren't we Slashdot?

  11. News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters ... by Bob(TM) · · Score: 4, Funny

    News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters ... Yesterday.

    --

    The little guy just ain't getting it, is he?
  12. A bit late by Jboost · · Score: 1

    "Its closest approach to Earth, above the west coast of North America, was projected at 0444 GMT."
    So people in American (and parts of Asia) could have observed this 10 hours ago (if they knew about it).

    See you on april 13 2029 when the next asteroid will be visible to the naked eye on earth.

    1. Re:A bit late by ezratrumpet · · Score: 1

      Unless there's another one coming before then that THEY just forgot to mention.....

    2. Re:A bit late by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      See you on april 13 2029 when the next asteroid will be visible to the naked eye on earth.

      and watch it get larger and larger - dont forget to run!

  13. Where's Ben Affleck when you need him? by Robot+Randy · · Score: 1

    Or at least Robert Duval...

    1. Re:Where's Ben Affleck when you need him? by tehgimpness · · Score: 0

      Hopefully on the asteroid saving our asses. Though it looks like bad weather delayed their departure.

      --


      ZOMGWTFPWNtKKTHNXBIBI!!!ONE!111!!!
  14. By Larry Niven by PIPBoy3000 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I almost rated this as "off topic" until I realized it was a reference to Footfall, by Larry Niven. It refers to showing submission so that agressive actions stop. Strangely put, but at least I understand the post now.

    1. Re:By Larry Niven by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Too many mods are all too quick to mod down what they don't understand. If you're going to mod and you don't understand something don't just to the first conclusion that it's off topic. There is vast amounts of knowledge floating about, don't be surprised if you missed one or two bits of it.

    2. Re:By Larry Niven by PriceIke · · Score: 3, Interesting

      WOW, Footfall. I read that for the first time sixteen years ago, when I was a college undergrad. There are images still in my head from that book, like them using an Orion concept vehicle in the atmosphere and how oddly unsettled I was whenever they announced over the intercom: "Accelleration. Stand by."

      And of course that emotionally wrenching choice the President must make at the very end of the book. That scene still haunts me to this day.

      Incredible book. Thanks for bringing up the memories. And oh yeah, I hope we don't all die today because they calculated with inches instead of centimeters.

      --
      It's not a lie. It's the truth with lossy compression.
    3. Re:By Larry Niven by fifedrum · · Score: 1

      that book left it's mark in my brain too, funny how the scenes in the orion vehicle are still so clearly etched. That and the mulch pile...

  15. Obligatory.... by Belgarion89 · · Score: 1

    That's no asteroid, it's a space station.

    1. Re:Obligatory.... by nelsonal · · Score: 1

      Nope it's just my planetary golf ball. Yet another black hole in one for me (in a few melinnia).

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
  16. Close calls? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Something I was thinking about recently, given the news reports and the fact that Deep Impact was on TV the other day - how close is too close?
    Obviously it's bad if an asteroid/comet is on a direct path to ground, but how about if it just grazes the earth? Even if it misses by a mile, the atmosphere is too thick and it'll slow down and fall to earth anyway. As you get farther away, the atmosphere becomes less of a problem, but what about gravitational effects? How close would it need to get before it's captured in a death spiral around earth?

  17. Asteriod: by Jasper__unique_dammi · · Score: 1

    whhhhhhhiiizzzzzzzz......

  18. Map Of Close Nearby Asteroids by szyzyg · · Score: 5, Informative

    Back when I used to call myself an astronomer I coded up this map which shows the releative postitions of all asteroids in the vicinity of the earth. If you've ever played the classic video game 'Elite' then you won't have any trouble understanding the map.

    1. Re:Map Of Close Nearby Asteroids by nelsonal · · Score: 1

      I was trying to twist it around (could you do that in Elite? I remember doing it in Elite 3. Might have to dust off the ole dosbox and give my Osprey toole about the ole solar system.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
  19. Free Teen Pr0n! by PIPBoy3000 · · Score: 1

    It's on topic and highly relevant, really. ;)

  20. Photographs of Asteroid? by Rob+Carr · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Does anyone know where to look for photographs taken by amateur photographers of this asteroid?

    When things like this come up (eclipses, occultations of Pleiades, etc.), it would be nice to have a central location where one could go to find links to the photos.

    I should know this, but I don't. I guess I'm only an "amateur" amateur astronomer.

    --
    This sig seemed like a good idea at the time....
    1. Re:Photographs of Asteroid? by tqft · · Score: 1

      spaceweather.com does a pretty good job of finding, collecting and linking to all this sort of stuff.

      Not complete mind you. I doubt anything ever will be.

      --
      The Singularity is closer than you think
      Quant
    2. Re:Photographs of Asteroid? by shadowbearer · · Score: 1

      Here is a good place to start (note, not permalink, scroll down) http://spaceweather3.com/

        look for xp14

        I've emailed spaceweather about their lack of permalinks, anyone know why they don't answer?

        Or am I missing something?

        SB

      --
      It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
  21. Re:News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters ... by moosesocks · · Score: 1
    News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters ... Yesterday.


    you know..... the grammatical error in there seems fitting
    --
    -- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
  22. Instrument the astroid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I wonder if there had been any plans to drop a sensor package on a close by asteriod that can then be taken out into the rest of the solar system. Not sure if we could get transmission from it the whole flight or have to wait till it returns a few hundred years later. What types of instruments would be useful? Maybe a telescope and low power radar.