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Simulation of Close Asteroid Fly-By

Posted by Soulskill on from the close-enough-to-feel-the-vacuum-breeze dept.

c0mpliant writes "NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have released a simulation of the path of an asteroid, named Apophis, that will come very close to Earth in 2029 — the closest predicted approach since humans have monitored for such heavenly bodies. The asteroid caused a bit of a scare when astronomers first announced that it would enter Earth's neighborhood some time in the future. However, since that announcement in 2004, more recent calculations have put the odds of collision at 1 in 250,000."

9 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. In case of slashdotting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    * O - Earth
    |
    | ---- Asteroid
    |

    1. Re:In case of slashdotting by Chapter80 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Scientists report that the Apophis asteroid is approximately the size of two-and-a-half football fields. Further research and government grants are necessary to determine whether the Apophisites are playing American Football or that odd metric football where you use your feet.

    2. Re:In case of slashdotting by WormholeFiend · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm curious to know how many Volkswagen Beetles we'd need to collide with a two-and-a-half football fields asteroid to change its trajectory.

    3. Re:In case of slashdotting by Chapter80 · · Score: 3, Funny

      It's all documented in the Library of Congress. In fact, a lot of information is contained in the Library of Congress. Ten Terabytes: and if each bit was a "0" or "1" in 12-point font, laid end-to-end, it would stretch to the Apophis asteroid and back nine times (at its closest point to Earth).

      Seriously, what's this "1 in 250,000" chance of hitting the Earth? It's only going to pass once, and it'll either hit or miss. So it's one in 2.

      That's why it's important for lottery money to go toward education. These scientists can't calculate probabilities!

    4. Re:In case of slashdotting by severoon · · Score: 3, Funny

      I've been trying that for years now, but I must be skipping the wrong ones...I'm only picking every other loser. :-(

      --
      but have you considered the following argument: shut up.
  2. Re:Danger... or opportunity? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hmmm . . . a giant harpoon, tethered by a long nanotube to the Earth. We could nail that asteroid, like Captain Ahab did to Moby Dick. We could travel back and forth on a space elevator. The more alcohol I drink, the better this idea sounds!

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  3. Re:Danger... or opportunity? by hodet · · Score: 4, Funny

    Then just change the gravitational constant of the universe....duh

  4. Re:Danger... or opportunity? by Thanshin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Actually I'm pretty sure that's a standard sci-fi technique. Send the big mining robot to the asteroid. It then starts processing the asteroid and ejects the waste material in order to produce thrust to head towards Earth (aiming for an orbit rather than a collision :).

    Actually, the standard Sci-Fi technique is:
    - Send big mining robot.
    - Big mining robot passes through exotic magnetic field and develops conscience.
    - Big mining robot invades Earth; possibly to mine it.

  5. Re:Danger... or opportunity? by Yvan256 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Q, stop posting on Slashdot. Or is the Continuum that boring these days?