It was the giant asteroid after all!

Tommy Boy said:
Well I wouldn't worry about the asteroid hitting the earth and wiping us out, even our great great great grandchildren won't be around to see it. It'll be millions more years before it happens again.

Could be a 100 million years, could be 10 years. There really isn't a way to know, I believe that currently there is a few asteroids which are classified as "dangerous" because their course is pretty close to earths orbit. (close as close in astronomical distances) And asteroids that are not part of the asteroid belts can change course quite rapidly. (again, talking about astronomical stuff, not a few minutes) Sure it would be extremely rare for something like this to happen, but it's still possible.
 
It is said that in 2029 an asteroid called '2004 MN4' (aka 99942 Apophis) about 320 metres (1000 ft.) wide will be passing by the earth closer than several existing satellites that currently orbit the earth. Apparently if you live in Europe, Asia, or Africa then it will be visible with the unaided eye. An interesting point to note is that when it passes by the earth's field of gravity its trajectory will be affected and can result in a collision with the earth the next time it loops around. Fortunately for us this will not happen in our lifetime and fortunately for the future races if it does collide it will not bring complete devastation to the entire earth (although its point of collision would still cause catastrophical regional damage).

Upon further reading, it is said that the chances of a collision are very unlikely.
 
mammikoura said:
some are iron or other metals, some are mostly stone. Blowing up won't be easy, but I'd imagine a huge explosion like 20 (well depends how big it is) meters below the surface would atleast break a huge chunk off of it. And then several of those and we could destroy it, or at least make sure that it doesn't hit as 1 big asteroid, which would be very deadly. And the technology is there, a big nuclear bomb combined with the bunker buster technology might do the trick. Normal bunker buster bombs can go through many meters of reinforced concrete.
On Earth, bunkerbuster bombs will work, but not in space, the explosion will be as great, but in space, no gravity, to do any good, large explosions have to have something to push against, all it would succeed in doing, even with a nuclear blast would possibly be to move it very slightly, & probably accelerate it towards Earth, someone quoted Armegeddon, let's not get fact & fiction confused, that was speculation by the makers of the film, which probably wouldn't work in reality, the film made a huge profit, because viewers liked the feel-good factor, the real people trying it would be intensely serious too, none of Bruce Willis's usual gung-ho.
 
Brookfield said:
On Earth, bunkerbuster bombs will work, but not in space, the explosion will be as great, but in space, no gravity, to do any good, large explosions have to have something to push against, all it would succeed in doing, even with a nuclear blast would possibly be to move it very slightly, & probably accelerate it towards Earth

How would a bunker buster not work on space? It's basically a warhead that penetrates like what ever you put infront of it. The BLU-113 (I think that was the name) is rated 6+ meters of reinforced concrete. (video here http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=602065a869) Not sure if that's the BLU-133, but it's definitely a bunker buster warhead. Don't know how gravity would affect it's work, on earth all it gains from gravity is the speed, which would be easy to do with a rocket engine in space. And a nuclear explosion inside the asteroid would definitely cause a lot of damage to it. Ever seen the underground or underwater nuclear tests? Lots of mass on top of the bomb, but still a pretty decent boom. Now those are normal nukes, shove 50 of them into 1 missile and the boom will be a little bigger.
 
if there is perpetual motion, then how, other than entering another planets gravity field, can a meteor change direction?
 
Ð88 said:
It is said that in 2029 an asteroid called '2004 MN4' (aka 99942 Apophis) about 320 metres (1000 ft.) wide will be passing by the earth closer than several existing satellites that currently orbit the earth. Apparently if you live in Europe, Asia, or Africa then it will be visible with the unaided eye. An interesting point to note is that when it passes by the earth's field of gravity its trajectory will be affected and can result in a collision with the earth the next time it loops around. Fortunately for us this will not happen in our lifetime and fortunately for the future races if it does collide it will not bring complete devastation to the entire earth (although its point of collision would still cause catastrophical regional damage).

Upon further reading, it is said that the chances of a collision are very unlikely.
I'd have loved to have seen that, but I'll be dead by then!
 
boardordi3 said:
if there is perpetual motion, then how, other than entering another planets gravity field, can a meteor change direction?
Only by being deflected by Bruce Willis, no, seriously, by colliding with another heavenly object, it has happened.


parismouton said:
where's the wake? lol ha ha
Ha ha, Oim not from the emerald isle, begorrah!


mammikoura said:
How would a bunker buster not work on space? It's basically a warhead that penetrates like what ever you put infront of it. The BLU-113 (I think that was the name) is rated 6+ meters of reinforced concrete. (video here http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=602065a869) Not sure if that's the BLU-133, but it's definitely a bunker buster warhead. Don't know how gravity would affect it's work, on earth all it gains from gravity is the speed, which would be easy to do with a rocket engine in space. And a nuclear explosion inside the asteroid would definitely cause a lot of damage to it. Ever seen the underground or underwater nuclear tests? Lots of mass on top of the bomb, but still a pretty decent boom. Now those are normal nukes, shove 50 of them into 1 missile and the boom will be a little bigger.
Sorry, but I still maintain it'll be as I have said, it will act the same as a powerful rocket engine, for every action there's got to be a reaction, the mass of an asteroid is mostly iron, immensely strong, so, even if they manage to bore a hole, the explosion even if it was nuclear, would only push in one direction, out of the borehole, an uncontained explosiion like a large firework rocket, & give an almighty shove to the asteroid, admittedly it wouldn't move much, given the size of it, but with no gravity, therefore no friction it would keep on going, yes, it would be great if it pushes it away from Earth, but that can't be guaranteed, as the explosion might have a side effect, & alter it's course towards Earth.

Can anyone else see that?, I've worked it out pretty logically I think.
 
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