So I'll be first to admit (and sunshine will be first to back it up) that I am a giant space dork. I love to read about space, I love to talk about space and I just love to think about space.

I read http://www.space.com daily. I was reading an interesting artical about a Gravity-Powered Asteroid Tractor purposal. The idea is really interesting and I would really encourage other people to read it.

The article itself was interesting (ink), but it was a small little blurb at the bottom of the artical that got my interest.



Thats insane if you ask me. I'm not really worried. If you read all the information its clear that theres still only a small chance its going to hit. Whats cool is that this thing is going to get super close to the earth. In 2029 this thing is going to come with in 18,000 miles of earth. That might not seem close but to give you an idea of how close that is listen to this.

The moon is 239,000 mile (on average) from eath. This thing is coming with in 18,000. Thats insanly close. as the artical says, it comes with in range of satellites that orbit the earth. Of course the thing is, no one really knows for sure. These numbers are based on the limited amount of time Scientists have had to scan the earth. Still, it should get close enough that it will be scene by the naked eye. To me, thats amazing.

Regardless, Apophis is roughly 1,000 feet in Diameter. Its a small little space rock. Its not much of a 'Global Killer', but it would make all the other global disasters we have experianced look petty. Still, no one will really know for sure what will happen when its passes by.

Interesting stuff if you ask me.

Im a firm believer that the biggest threat to earth right now are Asteroids and Massive Volcanos.

_________________
COBRA KAI DOJO NEVER DIES
RIP Shiloh

So....we have 24 year tos create a weapon to make astroids obsolete.... We better fn do it or I will lose all respect in humanity, due to the long time period and no action.

_________________
If only you all had a large Proton-Enhanced Nuclear Induction Spectroscopy machine like I do.

Let's just hope that Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck are still alive when this thing comes by. THEY WILL SAVE US.

That is pretty cool though, I wonder if it will hit any sattelites haha, that would suck if it hit the one for the Playboy Channel.

_________________

Oh man, haha, worst it will do is probably mess with the tides. That's insane though. I just came from astronomy actually.

And an asteroid hitting Earth is very, very unlikely. I can't think of an appropriate metaphor, but imagine Earth as a grain of dust suspended in the very middle of a footbal field. Then imagine trying to hit said grain of dust with a gun sitting from the bleachers. Thats like an asteroid coming from outside the solar system trying to hit earth. Except the chances are even more remote than that.

_________________
Retired 8/21/06
Don't click this link.

I agree with cad, except that most (if not all) asteroids come from the Asteroid Belt, Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud ;p

but yeah the fact that one might even come this close to earth is something that most people would never get to see in their life time. Thats what gets me excited.

_________________
COBRA KAI DOJO NEVER DIES
RIP Shiloh

That metaphor is a little comforting, but then think about if you had a never-ending supply of bullets and allllllllllll of eternity to do it. It may take a hundred-thousand millenia, but it would happen eventually, dammit.



Asteroids are coming. We're all going to die. Stoneskin can't save you.

_________________

hahaha

_________________
COBRA KAI DOJO NEVER DIES
RIP Shiloh

All very true, but why not build the weapon to distroy these, instead of waiting with our thumbs in our asses. How shall I say, better safe than dead. and I do understand the extrem difficulty in do it, but, invest now, or one day an astroid will hit us. Its just a matter of time.

_________________
If only you all had a large Proton-Enhanced Nuclear Induction Spectroscopy machine like I do.

Don't worry Mil, our sun will run out of fuel and explode, consuming mercury, venus, and then Earth before an asteroid has a chance to hit Earth.

_________________
Retired 8/21/06
Don't click this link.

Have MM tank it. Yarr main heals. And I'll chainspell stun it.... Common people, thing DL but bigger, faster and IRL.

_________________
If only you all had a large Proton-Enhanced Nuclear Induction Spectroscopy machine like I do.

Yeah, Cad, I learned that in my physics class two years ago. And eventually, at the end of everything, space will be nothing but millions of massive black holes. Happy ending, huh?

_________________

Then it starts all over again I bet.

_________________
Retired 8/21/06
Don't click this link.

In Theory ;p


We actually have very little understanding of what could happen since we barly even know how everything works now. In the space community they make new theories based on new discoveries all the time. This yeah has been really interesting, they have made new discoveries on everything from how Black Holes help Create New Stars to Galaxies comprised of nothing but dark matter. Both these articles are from this year. I remember reading both of them lol.

The truth is, we know so little about the Universe its not even funny. All we have (and all we can really ever have for a very long time if not ever) is working theories about how it works. Keeping up with different theories and things in space is a lot of fun. Things can change totally so quickly, all it takes is a fluke discovery.



lol god I'm such a dork.

_________________
COBRA KAI DOJO NEVER DIES
RIP Shiloh

FF7 irl.

Who wants to start building a huge cannon, or a giant rocket to go divert an asteroid, or potentially make more debris to rain down on our planet? lol.

_________________

o_o The product of MNK73/THF25

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/profile.xml?72267

lol one thing is for sure, you guys make me feel like less of a dork.



Haha.

_________________
COBRA KAI DOJO NEVER DIES
RIP Shiloh

I have this button IRL. Yes, I am a bigger dork than this forum combinded. Muhahahaha! the button itself is 6" (aprx 15cm) in diameter...

_________________
If only you all had a large Proton-Enhanced Nuclear Induction Spectroscopy machine like I do.

The problem with making a weapon to destroy asteroids is we'd use it on ourselves before we had a chance to blow up a big rock(excluding earth lol). Humans are gonna kill us before a big rock from space.

_________________
I'm just a question knowing my answer,
hope I'm wrong.

{True Strike} Why worry about this now days? Do you really think ANY of us will live to see the world be destroyed naturally? I would be more worried about the destruction of civilization. Think about it, we look to the stars, we look to the atom, we look under the deepest sea . . . and yet still can't just be civilized with one another. As long as there is Envy, Jealousy, Hate, and Greed in the world, I will fear was the stupid people of the world will do before I fear a giant rock in the sky.

Humans can be fixed. It just takes time, or a bitch-slap, whichever you prefer, to show them the errors of their ways. Now then, seeing how we know how to fix humans, we still wouldn't be able to stop a rock from hitting us.

_________________
If only you all had a large Proton-Enhanced Nuclear Induction Spectroscopy machine like I do.

lol, humans can't be fixed.

_________________
I'm just a question knowing my answer,
hope I'm wrong.

I would care to disagree, but thats just me. I have hope in a few of my friends, that are in a bad time in their lives, where everybody and themselves have no hope for them.

_________________
If only you all had a large Proton-Enhanced Nuclear Induction Spectroscopy machine like I do.