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Three-day warning: not IF but WHEN
Posted: 03 Mar 2009 20:30
by SandChigger
As I'm writing this (13:40 UT) a newly-discovered asteroid, 2009 DD45, is flying past Earth at only 74,800 km (46,478.5 miles or 0.000482 AU) away. That's only about twice the height of a typical geostationary communications satellite, and well inside the moon's orbit. According to Spaceweather.com, the 30- to 40-meter wide space rock is similar in size to the Tunguska impactor of 1908...
The asteroid was only discovered three days ago by the prolific asteroid hunter Robert McNaught at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia, when the space rock was already within 2,414,016 km (1½ million miles) of Earth and closing fast.
Asteroid 2009 DD45 Just Buzzed by Earth (March 2nd, 2009)
I just heard about this a few minutes ago on CNNj. We dodged yet another bullet.
I wouldn't mind seeing a major city taken out if it would wake the world up to the fact that it really is a question of
WHEN, not
If.
Posted: 03 Mar 2009 21:04
by Freakzilla
Holy shit!
Posted: 03 Mar 2009 22:40
by Ampoliros
Damn now i have to totally revamp my zombie plan to account for asteroids.
frikkin great.
Posted: 03 Mar 2009 23:49
by Omphalos
Zombies! Asteroids! Just read a book with both of those themes. Will post accordingly later.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 00:57
by orald
Yea, sure, but which city do you want to take out?
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 01:17
by SandChigger
I'm thinkin' Denver. Hopefully while KJA is nearby.
Or Rome. The hubris of "The Eternal City" just screams for a smack down, no?
Plus I got absolutely no use for the Pope.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 01:47
by Omphalos
SandChigger wrote:I'm thinkin' Denver. Hopefully while KJA is nearby.
Or Rome. The hubris of "The Eternal City" just screams for a smack down, no?
Plus I got absolutely no use for the Pope.
Rome is awesome. But if you want to knock out hubris, aim one at Beijing.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 01:54
by orald
Aim for Tel Aviv, that should burst its bubble.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 10:43
by Freakzilla
I think we'd all be better off if one hit Washington DC... while Congress is in session.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 10:59
by Crysknife
Too bad it didn't hit the CPAC convention while Limbaugh and Joe the plumber were there.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 10:59
by SandChigger
Freakzilla wrote:I think we'd all be better off if one hit Washington DC... while Congress is in session.
Yeah, take out the national government and leave all the little independent states as easy pickin's.
And Limbaugh ... didn't he have a drug addiction or something? Is that all done and over with? Sterling example of an American public figure. And I hear he's the de facto head of the Republican Party?
There are days when I hope we are too stupid to get off this rock in time.
Spare the universe the contagion.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 11:20
by Freakzilla
He was addicted to oxycotin, painkillers.
I don't much care for Rush myself, I never get to listen to him.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 11:29
by orald
What bugs me, Chig, is the assumption that any supposed aliens would actually be better than us. All this talk about how stupid humanity is and how we're ruining the world...we're all animals after all, and all animals "ruin" their environment without pausing to think.
It's only because we're so successful that nothing else out there is able to keep our disasterous habits in check.
Except God Leto, of course.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 11:45
by Freakzilla
That's a scary thought, that we might be the most advanced civilzation out there.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 11:52
by TheDukester
I'd never stop laughing if it hit Las Vegas.
Well, except for the part where I'd die horribly if the wind was to the north ...
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 12:01
by Crysknife
TheDukester wrote:I'd never stop laughing if it hit Las Vegas.
Well, except for the part where I'd die horribly if the wind was to the north ...
On man, the last thing we need is to give the right wing evangelicals more ammunition.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 12:05
by SandRider
Freakzilla wrote:That's a scary thought, that we might be the most advanced civilzation out there.
Could very easily be the truth ....
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 14:48
by chanilover
SandChigger wrote:I'm thinkin' Denver. Hopefully while KJA is nearby.
Or Rome. The hubris of "The Eternal City" just screams for a smack down, no?
Plus I got absolutely no use for the Pope.
Rome's a fantastic city. I say let it land on Red Deer, no one would miss it, apart from the people who live there, but they'd be dead so it wouldn't matter.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 14:50
by chanilover
SandChigger wrote:Freakzilla wrote:I think we'd all be better off if one hit Washington DC... while Congress is in session.
Yeah, take out the national government and leave all the little independent states as easy pickin's.
Georgia would be invaded by Jamaica. Now, that would be great TV.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 14:52
by chanilover
Freakzilla wrote:That's a scary thought, that we might be the most advanced civilzation out there.
You're not. Us Brits are.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 14:53
by Freakzilla
chanilover wrote:SandChigger wrote:Freakzilla wrote:I think we'd all be better off if one hit Washington DC... while Congress is in session.
Yeah, take out the national government and leave all the little independent states as easy pickin's.
Georgia would be invaded by Jamaica. Now, that would be great TV.
No, the Mexicans and Canadians would ride roughshod over us.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 15:07
by chanilover
Freakzilla wrote:chanilover wrote:SandChigger wrote:Freakzilla wrote:I think we'd all be better off if one hit Washington DC... while Congress is in session.
Yeah, take out the national government and leave all the little independent states as easy pickin's.
Georgia would be invaded by Jamaica. Now, that would be great TV.
No, the Mexicans and Canadians would ride roughshod over us.
Nah, your arses would be OWNED by the Jamaican bob-sleigh team from Cool Runnings.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 15:09
by Freakzilla
chanilover wrote:Freakzilla wrote:chanilover wrote:SandChigger wrote:Freakzilla wrote:I think we'd all be better off if one hit Washington DC... while Congress is in session.
Yeah, take out the national government and leave all the little independent states as easy pickin's.
Georgia would be invaded by Jamaica. Now, that would be great TV.
No, the Mexicans and Canadians would ride roughshod over us.
Nah, your arses would be OWNED by the Jamaican bob-sleigh team from Cool Runnings.
If they bring weed with them I'm OK with that.
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 15:53
by A Thing of Eternity
Hard to say which would be more fun for the locals, being invaded by Canada or Jamaica... tough call. Both have good weed, but we have newfies... hmm, but they have better accents...
Posted: 04 Mar 2009 15:54
by GamePlayer
One more reason to get off this rock.
Of course, nothing is really done about it unless we get hit. And by then it's already too late.
Perhaps if we just got a city or two leveled by an asteroid, the "clear and present danger" concept would sink in
