Asteroid to Hit Earth?

[Coco]

Expert: Asteroid May Hit Earth, but Don't Panic
Wed Jul 24,11:03 AM ET
By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - A massive asteroid could hit Earth in just 17 years' time, destroying life as we know it, a British space expert said Wednesday.



The asteroid -- the most threatening object ever detected in space -- is two km (1.2 miles) wide and apparently on a direct collision course with Earth.

"Objects of this size only hit the Earth every one or two million years," said Dr. Benny Peiser, an asteroid expert at Liverpool John Moore's University in northern England.

"In the worst case scenario, a disaster of this size would be global in its extent, would create a meltdown of our economic and social life, and would reduce us to dark age conditions," he told Reuters.

But Peiser and other space experts say they are pretty confident this nightmare scenario will not come about.

"This thing is the highest threat that has been cataloged, but the scale in terms of the threat keeps changing," said Peter Bond, spokesman for the Royal Astronomical Society.

"If it did hit the Earth it would cause a continental-size explosion...but it is a fairly remote possibility."

The asteroid -- named 2002 NT7 -- was first detected earlier this month by the United States Linear sky survey program.

Since then, Peiser said scientists at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA ( news - web sites)) near-Earth objects team and at Pisa University in Italy have carried out orbit calculations to work out the probability and potential date of impact to define the risk it poses.

Their calculations show it could hit the earth on February 1, 2019.

"The impact probability is below one in a million, but because the first impact date is so early -- only 17 years from now -- and the object is very large, it's been rated on the impact risk Palermo Scale as a positive," Peiser said. "It is the first object which has ever hit a positive rating."

Scientists warn, however, that the risk rating has not been reviewed by the International Astronomical Union, which is the main international body responsible for announcing such risks.

Peiser said 2002 NT7 would continue to be monitored by space experts across the world, and that over time, these observations would probably erase the threat posed by it.

"In all likelihood, in a couple of months additional observations will eliminate this object from the list of potential impacts," he said. "I am very confident that additional observations over time will...show that it is actually not on a collision course with Earth."

But he warned that the world should take this as wake-up call and set about preparing for the reality of an asteroid hit in the future.

"Sooner or later -- and no one can really tell us which it will be -- we will find an object that is on a collision course. That is as certain as "Amen" in church. And eventually we will have to deflect an object from its collision course," he said.

At the moment, he added, scientists fear it could take at least 30 years for the world to be able to devise and set up a mission to deal with such a threat -- a timescale which would be woefully inadequate if the 2019 strike were to happen.





______________________

We can't change our past, but we can change the way we look at it - into something more positive

[ToddEVF]

Damn, i must make sure i don't live that long now. I don't want to die via Asteroid.
This has to be some of that Apoclyptic news.

Goddess Ari's Bitch
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Also, member of the IRISH FACTION

[Earth2RON]

the british are so funny sometimes!

if an asteroid is going to hit earth,i wouldnt want to know about it at all.



[b]"The feelings that we once shared are starting
to disappear as night turns to day"[b]
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[b]"keep your eyes on the road....you shouldn't be
on your cell phone when you're driving"[b]

[Knowledged_one]

I'm sure after the calculations are done over again and more precise it will turn out that the asteroid will pass about 200,000 miles closer to us, but thats just my guess, no need to panic just yet

Eat a Bag of Dicks

[sunndoggy8]

Well, we've got two options:

1.) Send up a drilling team of misfits to save the world.

or

2.) Elect Al Sharpton to run the world after the asteroid hits...hey it worked for Morgan Freeman.

<IMG SRC="http://home.att.net/~sunndoggy8/RFnetSunndoggy8.jpg" width=300 height=100>

<i><b><font color="#0F00CD">"You should've seen her face. It was the exact same look my father gave me when I told him I wanted to be a ventriloquist."</font color="#0F00CD"></b></i>

[Earth2RON]

1.) Send up a drilling team of misfits to save the world.

or

2.) Elect Al Sharpton to run the world after the asteroid hits...hey it worked for Morgan Freeman
this is a tuff one to choose from:)

number one seems to be more realistic!

[b]"The feelings that we once shared are starting
to disappear as night turns to day"[b]
<IMG SRC="http://rfnetearth2ron.50megs.com/images/e2r.gif">
[b]sig pic brought to you by ShelleBink[b]

[b]"keep your eyes on the road....you shouldn't be
on your cell phone when you're driving"[b]

[Lulu]

taken from toolband.com:

Members of the band are seriously debating whether or not to record any new material in the future due to recent revelations concerning the close approach of a mysterious celestial object. The invader, which some maverick astronomers believe to be a brown dwarf (failed sun) and others the tenth planet of our solar system (ALA Sitchin's planet X which the ancient Sumerians called Nibiru), could be responsible for perturbations in the orbits of Uranus, Neptune as well as tipped over Pluto (and also puzzles regarding their moons, rings, etc.). It's existence and close approach to earth in 2003 e.a., if a reality, would have profound gravitational effects resulting in, among other things, a magnetic pole shift and/or possible earth-crust displacement. All this spells the prophesied "End Times" (and all just because someone was praying for a tidal wave). Although the band members all have underground shelters with adequate provisions to survive such a catastrophic event (for the richest bands of 2002 see 'Rolling Stone' magazine), without an audience to perform for there would be no motivation to record any new material. (NOTE: Please understand that I'm not saying Nibiru is coming. It is a bit suspicious, however, that observatories in many states are suddenly closed for "remodeling.")

* Or so I've gathered from recent construction projects going on around the clock on each band member's property. In addition to all the digging and pouring of concrete, I've also noticed that shipments of red wine are being trucked by moonlight to 'Arizona Bay', a further indication that someone is well aware that something heavy is about to go down. In case you're wondering, yes, bats have been dripping on my boxes of supplies hidden in an abandoned silver mine in Nevada for almost a year now.


also:

We at Toolband have just uncovered a curious little piece of information to support the idea that the celestial invader (SEE JULY 10) may indeed be the tenth planet of our solar system. This planet, which we are content to call Nibiru, may even be the home to our progenitors, the Anunnaki, god-like beings who, according to the Mesopotamian scholar, Zecharia Sitchin, created humankind as a type of bio-machine to perform slave labor, namely the mining of gold which they needed for technological applications. (NOTE: we will soon explore the research of William Henry who believes that EA. and his circle of "gods" created us to mine something known as blue apples). This evidence of our Nibirian creators comes from a rather strange place: The Guinness Book of World Records. In the 1978 edition, on page 207, is the longest name in the world. This is: Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorffvoralternwareng ewissenshaftsschaferswess
enscahfewarenwohlgepflegteundsorgfaltigkeitbeschut zenvonangreifendendurchihr
raubgierigfeindewelchevoralternzwolftausendjahresv orandieersheinendenvander
ersteerdemenschderraumschiffgebrauchlichtalsseinur sprungvonkraftgestartsein
langefahrthinzwischensternartigraumaufdersuchenach diesternewelchegehabtbe
wohnbarplanetenkreisdrehensichundwohinderneurassev onverstandigmenschlich
keitkonntefortpflanzenundsicherfreuenanlebenslangl ichfreudeundruhemitnichtein
furchtvorangreifenvoneinanderintelligentgeschopfsv onhinzwischensternartigraum, Senior.

The same Guinness Book of World Records also informs us that the gentleman with the longest name honors was born on February 29 (leap year), 1904 in the German town of Bergedorf near Hamburg. To make thinks easier, on documents such as his passport, etc. he used only his second and eighth Christian names and the first thirty-five letters of his surname. After emigrating to America (later taking up residence in Philadelphia), he further shortened it to Wolfe + 585 Senior. So what does this harmless lunacy have to do with the planet Nibiru you ask? Well, as it turns out, or so acco

[ToddEVF]

WOW. . . TOOLBAND.COM is very smart.

Goddess Ari's Bitch
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Also, member of the IRISH FACTION

[Earth2RON]

super long, i'm sorry
i got by in school by speed reading:)

[b]"The feelings that we once shared are starting
to disappear as night turns to day"[b]
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[b]sig pic brought to you by ShelleBink[b]

[b]"keep your eyes on the road....you shouldn't be
on your cell phone when you're driving"[b]

[nickeye]

Where's the little white triangle when you really need it?

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<center><img src="http://njpconsulting.homestead.com/files/eyeballhead.jpg"></center>

[NewYorkDragons80]

There's gotta be something we can think of in the next 17 years that can take care of an asteroid only a mile wide.

We can think of ways to destroy the Soviet Union 60 times over, this rock shouldn't be a problem

"No Cross, No Crown."
-William Penn

"Leonardo DiCaprio is an androgynous wimp."
-Senator John McCain

[Cybersoldier]

There been a couple of stories similar to this one a few years ago. The earth is always being hit by metorids

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thanks czm for the sig and the help

[Aggie]

"In the worst case scenario, a disaster of this size would be global in its extent, would create a meltdown of our economic and social life, and would reduce us to dark age conditions," he told Reuters.
They make it sound like the worst case scenario is not that bad!


Honestly people, do you think they would actually TELL us if this was going to happen and cause mass hysteria and anarchy? I don't think so. It's just gonna happen one day when we least expect it. Just like every other form of death. Live your lives and don't worry about it!


<IMG SRC="http://rfnetearth2ron.50megs.com/images/rfnetaggie17.jpg">

so fuck you
and your untouchable face
fuck you
for existing in the first place
and who am i
that i should be vying for your touch
who am i
bet you can't even tell me that much

[wilee]

If we can send a probe to intercept a comet and gather data on it, I'm sure that we can send a probe/weapon to deflect or destroy this asteroid.

I heard on the news today that it will pass by Earth the first time, but after coming around the Sun, they're not sure what it's trajectory will be. And when it passes Earth the first time, it's supposed to pass within the distance that the moon is from the Earth- kinda like standing 2 feet from the tracks as Amtrak shoots by.

<IMG SRC="http://cwjr.home.infi.net/rocket.jpg">

[CovDiesel]

We just need to make sure Bruce Willis is ready.

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[Pootertoot]

They say it's a continent-destroyer.

WHICH CONTINENT?

If it's like, Australia or Africa, go fuck yourself. Try and get that Ghana NASA up and running in 17 years.

Do you think that if an asteroid was headed for Earth, and more specifically, headed for Mexico, we'd lend a hand? Or would we just build a wall at the border and set up lawn chairs on it to watch?

I'm fairly sure that if an asteroid was going to hit anyone that we didn't have direct economic interests in, all the hand we'd be lending would be sending over guys from FOX to tape it.

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Take a Chance, Take a Chance
</center>

[A.J.]

We just need to make sure Bruce Willis is ready.


He was at the White House this past Tuesday for a press conference with President Bush to discuss "adoption".

SURE he was... :)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/07/20020723-7.html

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[Zipgun]

I gotta go stock up on Slim Jims, Water Willies, Camel Lights, and copies of Hustler back issues.



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