Apophis is Back in the News

[grimreefer]

NASA declared that there was a 1 in 45,000 chance of Apophis hitting Earth, but a 13 year old's calculations show the chance is 1 in 450. NASA agrees. :burn:

LINK

The schoolboy took into consideration the risk of Apophis running into one or more of the 40,000 satellites orbiting Earth during its path close to the planet on April 13 2029.

Those satellites travel at 3.07 kilometres a second (1.9 miles), at up to 35,880 kilometres above earth -- and the Apophis asteroid will pass by earth at a distance of 32,500 kilometres.

If the asteroid strikes a satellite in 2029, that will change its trajectory making it hit earth on its next orbit in 2036.

 

[Ltd10th03cobra]

I just read that. Thats crazy. I just can't believe a 13 yr old corrected Nasa. So their is a likely chance it could hit the Earth in 2036. Yikes!

 

[427Windsorman]

I just read that. Thats crazy. I just can't believe a 13 yr old corrected Nasa. So their is a likely chance it could hit the Earth in 2036. Yikes!

That does not necessarily mean the kid is smarter than average..... It could very well just be an indicator of the quality of the folks working for NASA these days.......

Look at all the mistakes, failures, oversights, and bad decisions coming from that agency over the last 25 years......

 

[PSUCOBRA96]

well that just ruins my day, guess we better make plans to stop it

 

[.n0b.]

The shockwaves from that would create huge tsunami waves, destroying both coastlines and inland areas, whilst creating a thick cloud of dust that would darken the skies indefinitely.


thats the crazy part...

 

[GetBlown2k3]

hm... 2036. I woulda probably kicked the bucket by then at the rate I'm going, lol.

 

[akula51]

Hmmm, gonna need to pop one helluva bag of corn for that show. Al Gore will save us, I have no doubts.

 

[s_x_i]

I could go drill and oil well on it... anyone have a bomb?


Sometimes it takes the mind of a child to see that which adults overlook... BUT SERIOUSLY NASA... WTF???

 

[03Sssnake]

That does not necessarily mean the kid is smarter than average..... It could very well just be an indicator of the quality of the folks working for NASA these days.......

Look at all the mistakes, failures, oversights, and bad decisions coming from that agency over the last 25 years......

my thoughts exactly, the old guard that made NASA great back in the day are long gone. :nonono:

 

[JasonSnake]

our time is coming...

make sure to put paper bags over your head

 

[03Sssnake]

LOL... We have 20+ years to do something about it. In that time we will probably find a effective way to alter its trajectory if its really a risk.

 

[deannyc]

NASA declared that there was a 1 in 45,000 chance of Apophis hitting Earth, but a 13 year old's calculations show the chance is 1 in 450. NASA agrees. :burn:

LINK

The schoolboy took into consideration the risk of Apophis running into one or more of the 40,000 satellites orbiting Earth during its path close to the planet on April 13 2029.

Those satellites travel at 3.07 kilometres a second (1.9 miles), at up to 35,880 kilometres above earth -- and the Apophis asteroid will pass by earth at a distance of 32,500 kilometres.

If the asteroid strikes a satellite in 2029, that will change its trajectory making it hit earth on its next orbit in 2036.

I highly doubt a satellite could alter a comets trajectory. It has more mass, and momentum.. Think of a freight train hitting a car. Im calling BS.. 32,000KM is awfully close, should make a real cool show. I`m actually visiting some cousins in DC this weekend, one of whom used to work for Nasa, I`ll throw it by him and see what he says. :shrug:

 

[Sonic605hp]

the end will come one way or the other...if this is it then so be it, i'm happy with my life, are you?

 

[astrodudepsu]

You guys know that NASA isn't stocked with scientists? An overwhelming majority of those people are engineers. And we all know that you can't leave anything important up to those guys.

In fact at the last AAS meeting (American Astronomical Society) the deputy director of NASA stood in front of almost 3000 Astronomers/Astrophysicists and scolded us for being too critical of NASA and not presenting a unified front to the public.

 

[T-Bolt]

Wow, NASA has just proved to the world that they are RETARDED.

 

[grimreefer]

I highly doubt a satellite could alter a comets trajectory. It has more mass, and momentum.. Think of a freight train hitting a car. Im calling BS..

It wouldn't affect it much in the short term but it doesn't have to. It would slow it down enough to make a difference long term.

Interesting read

 

[grimreefer]

Oh well... now NASA says there's no truth to it and their original calcs are accurate. Link

The asteroid will pass] within the distance of Earth's geosynchronous satellites. However, because Apophis will pass interior to the positions of these satellites at closest approach, in a plane inclined at 40 degrees to the Earth's equator and passing outside the equatorial geosynchronous zone when crossing the equatorial plane, it does not threaten the satellites in that heavily populated region.

All in all, it seems there's no need to dust off the asteroid-busting space nukes just yet.

:rollseyes

 

[canibus]

humans will probably have killed themselves by then, so it makes no difference

 

[JasonSnake]

Hitler had a "doomsday" device or at least one in the works. Could you imagine if he completed that machine if he had more time?

 

[OZ Dude]

It'll just hit a piece of space junk instead

Where's Bruce bloody Willis when you need him??

Oz