Friday, October 18, 2013

Massive asteroid to hit Earth in 2032? (Well, maybe), Cnet


Massive asteroid to hit Earth in 2032? (Well, maybe)

Ukrainian astronomers discover an asteroid, called 2013 TV135, with the power of 2,500 nuclear bombs. It's officially described as "potentially hazardous." You've been warned.
by 
It's out there, somewhere.
(Credit: Matthew Reo/YouTube Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
I know from all the financial ads on TV that you like to plan your portfolio well in advance.
Might I therefore suggest that you keep a vast stack of money for the vacation of several lifetimes in the early summer of 2032?
You see, I don't want to alarm you excessively, but the world might end in August 2032.
Yes, the chances are small -- perhaps 1 in 63,000. But, as they say in lottery ads, you never know.
My mildly alarmist tone comes from hearing that scientists at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in the Ukraine have spotted a rather large asteroid.
As Russia's RIA Novosti observed it, this menacing object is more than 1,300 feet wide and packs within it the power of 2,500 megatons of TNT. It is, indeed, the sumo wrestler of asteroids. And it's headed our way.
It's already got a name: 2013 TV 135. This seems a little disappointing. Why can't we name asteroids like hurricanes? Why can't this be Asteroid Annie? Why not Asteroid Spumante? Or, at the very least, The Big One?

More Technically Incorrect

The existence of this particular asteroid has already been confirmed by star-gazing experts around the world, and it is officially described as "potentially hazardous."
But, most importantly, what does NASA think? I had feared that its Web site would take a little time to lurch into action after the government shutdown.
Just one look, though, confirmed that NASA is on top of this threat. In a post headlined "Asteroid 2013 TV135 - A Reality Check," NASA admitted that 2013 TV135 "could be back in Earth's neighborhood in 2032."
But, then, so could Sir Richard Branson.
NASA confirmed the analysis that there is a 1-in-63,000 chance that this thing might hit us and hit us hard. That seems, at least, more chance than a Miami Marlins World Series win or a Jacksonville Jaguars Super Bowl win.
However, Don Yeomans, manager of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., insists: "This is a relatively new discovery. With more observations, I fully expect we will be able to significantly reduce, or rule out entirely, any impact probability for the foreseeable future."
Scientists always say that in the movies, before some Scientologist actor has to save the world.
The asteroid's current orbit.
(Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
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Realist1953
NASA will "Study it"?? Yes, they do need to study it, determine the orbit; they SHOULD be able to refine it to within 5 miles within 5 years -- making it "We KNOW IT WILL [or Will NOT] HIT".
But if they keep "doing studies" for 10 - 15 years, there won't be time left to DO ANYTHING About It!!
I don't hold out ANY hope for getting Anything DONE.
OsborneLV
It's hopeful thinking that we could stop an asteroid from hitting us, its a natural part of the universe and will happen sooner or later, hopefully we could survive this as a species and continue our bloodline, humans are one of this planets greatest creations, would be a shame to lose that DNA in the long run. Who but knows maybe it's best considering we are destroying this planet anyways, some life is better than none. And there's few life forms in the universe, takes a long time to evolve.
Dr_Zinj
The Chicxulub meteorite was about 6 miles across, this thing is only about a quarter of a mile across.
Run estimates with the Purdue Impactor program: 381 meter diameter, 3000 kg.m^3 density, moving 6 mps, water impact. 5000 miles away, don't worry about it.  Right underneath it, okay, you've got a problem then.  You're more likely to be killed by terrorists though.  http://www.purdue.edu/impactearth/
OsborneLV
@Dr_Zinj If you ever visit Meteor Crater in AZ they say that it was caused my a very small one, only the size of a house. If this hit earth, everyone would be effected, we might not all die that day, but it would surely fix our over population problem quick. here's to hoping it hits some remote place in russia, and not the ocean.
Dr_Zinj
I've been there, several times.  If I remember correctly, the 100% kill radius was about 50 miles, and dropped off quickly after that.
ivanbliminse
"2013 TV135 is an asteroid estimated to have a diameter of 400 meters (1,300 ft)." -Not over, estimated at 1,300ft
"2013 TV135 is a PHO (Potentially hazardous object) and has a rating of 1 out of 10 on the Torino scale for impact hazards; this indicates that it "poses no unusual level of danger. With a short observation arc of 9 days, it has about a 1 in 48000 chance of impacting Earth on August 26, 2032."- Rated 1 out of 10 with a 1 in 48k chance of impact.
"An Earth impact would cause a release of the energy of 2400 megatons of TNT. But the nominal orbit shows that 2013 TV135 will be 1.7 AU (250,000,000 km; 160,000,000 mi) from Earth on August 26, 2032" -The asteroid does not have the power of TNT packed inside it. The force generated by an impact is estimated to be around 2400 megatons. Assuming it can impact.
joshlarue8429
If this is what it takes to rid the planet of those who apparent ly lose sleep over people out there in the world thinking and doing things they dont agree with and those people who actually give a crap about someone other than themselves' political opinion, and those wackos that have to blow up forums and facebook slamming those who dont share their same thoughts and opinions on things and throwing their own opinions in the faces of others  and those who would rather bicker with their fellow man/american than to check their opinions at the door and just be decent humans to their fellow men/women ......then  you know what....... it might actually be a good thing.
Am I the only one who is tired of seeing this civil division amongst americans being put on every board, forum and social media website. This is an article about a possible end of the world, it has no political weight to said story. Yet people still seem to bring politic into it and slam their fellow man just because they dont have the same opinion, then someone instead of being the bigger man just copies exactly what the first one said but throws the words back at them twisted and backwards. Neither side is mature or cares about our future obviously all they care about is getting a chance slam someone for their personal beliefs/opinions. There are plenty of places to go democrat/republican bash, but you gotta look at how silly this has become, no matter what we think we are still AMERICANS, yea, you know what my political affiliation is the AMERICAN PARTY. and everyone needs to check themselves and get on board, we got enough enemies who want us dead and have no problem blowing up our buildings, hijacking our planes and god knows what else they have and will do because they hate us, so there is plenty of hate to go around for us to not have to keeping hating each other because one of us are pro life the other is pro choice ( a man shouldnt have an opinion on pro anything actually because WE as men have no idea what a woman would go through, what they feel in their bodies, etc, etc), and we should stop hating because person A thinks people B should be able to do what People  A do but the other person think that only People A should be able to do it and that people B for some reason have no rights. geez this is a forum about a possible end of our world, our HUMAN RACE, not just the abortionist not just the gay or non gay, not just the gun enthusiasts or non gun enthusiasts, all of us! now more than ever we should be thinking about putting aside our silly junior high political fights and find a way to reconnect, be proud to be free americans again, look past someone's affiliation and be able to help and learn from each other instead of stonewalling and degrading each other, i am on NEITHER SIDE like i said i am part of the AMERICAN PARTY and all these supposed Liberal/Tea partiers/Republican know-it-all(s) should take a look in the mirror and look at what they have all turned themselves into. (to which 75 percent of people just hear something then repeat it acting like they know what they are really talking about when they dont, they just wanna start a  petty internet argument)  some of you might say im slamming everyone else on a forum that it doesn't belong and i need to practice what i preach, but come on its obvious im just stating how downhill our country/human race has fallen when it comes to generosity, character,  and down right how we use to treat each other to how we do now. Not to long ago in 2001 we didn't care who was on what side, we stood by each other as Proud Americans, its hard to be a proud american if being an american means no matter what side you choose you can't be bothered to be the least bit TOLERANT of our fellow man. We all put ourselves on a pedestal and think ourselves superior to those who dont walk the same line we do, but deep down we know better, we are apparently just to full of pride to admit toit.  and apparently noone who has the ability to influence the masses has the guts to stand up and say enough is enough, we are brothers/sisters/mothers/fathers/children/etc of THE USA, lets start acting like it. no wonder so many people in this world think so low of us, we can't even get along with OURSELVES!

Now as for my comment on the asteroid, it is bound to happen sooner or later, we are a planet in space,  like i said before everyone thinks they are superior, well maybe this asteroid can be a reality check, it probaly wont hit us but maybe people seeing how close it will get this time around they will remember their true place, we are a breed of animal, on a planet that is able to sustain life for us, we aren't anything special but another COG in the machine, and every machine eventually wears its self out or gets broke by outside issues that have nothing to do with itself. wake up people, now more than ever we should  shape up, put our differences aside and our opinions to ourselves and do unto others as we would have them do unto us, no im not a christian, but that is a good rule, its the golden rule even if it wasnt in the bible its a good path to follow. ill probaly get all kinds of people talking smack to me on here, making fun of my whats gotta be numerous typos (when i get heated i type fast and dont go back to spel check) but you know what, i know some of you out there agree, and know we gotta make a change, OUR CHILDREN are seeing the way we as humans treat each other, online, in stores, at school, at work, everyone has their nose stuck in a tablet or phone or laptop and we have just become RUDE plain and simple, i dont know about you but i want my kids to see people helping people, people treating people with respect, if there is a future to leave our children then posts about hoping someone from an opposing affiliation gets taken out by an asteroid is NOT the WAY TO SHOW OUR KIDS TO BE RESPECTFUL. thanks for your time.
db313706
Too long, not enough punctuation, hurt my eyes.
It's by sheer luck we've survived this long.  If it's not this rock that will destroy us, it'll be the next, or some form of super-tuburculosis, or a solar flare large enough to melt the grid, or just simple scarcity of resources that will lead to war like the Dark Ages, or this, or that...blah blah blah.
This is where the Creationists should leave the room.  We may be unique, rare, and highly advanced relative to our understandings of natural sciences... But we are by no means special in the wholistic view of the universe.  Our demise would amount to no more than the fleeting echo of a distant memory, in a word, nothing.
ivanbliminse
@joshlarue8429 Thanks for the sermon, but lecturing people like this makes you just as bad as the ones you go off on. "those wackos that have to blow up forums and facebook slamming those who dont share their same thoughts and opinions on things and throwing their own opinions in the faces of others"
joshlarue8429
@ivanbliminse @joshlarue8429  lol i wasnt actually calling them wackos i was using their terminology to show them how silly it really was, i even said in my long "sermon" that i knew people would have things like what you just said to say. so its ok i expected as much. but i respect your opinion, everyone is entitled to that. first time i have every said anything about this subject online, it just sickens me that no matter what im reading about, a wedding, a funeral, a lottery winner, beehives, birds, or asteroids there is always these silly, immature people arguing over politics, when i know more than half of them are just taking an argument they heard and throwing out views they most likely know nothing about, true online you could try to call them on it and they can google it and look like they got their ducks in a row, ive done it in person with people called them on their "KNOWLEDGE"  and they freeze up and have no reply,  other than repeating themselves and stuttering.
snapblisss
If this is what it takes to rid the planet of those occupy wackos, it might actually be a good thing.
db32--2008
" Why can't we name asteroids like hurricanes?"
Because the Weather Channel isn't involved yet.  Soon we'll have names for each raindrop and snowflake that falls. 
mewhowhat
but we gonna miss iPhone 38S  triple platinum Gold edition with iOS V8 Extra Juice flavor.    
OuroborosYH
If this is what it finally takes to get rid of Democrats, it might actually be a good thing.
skycorgan
@OuroborosYH Yeah, finally we'll be able to get rid of those Democrats with their universal healthcare, civil rights, and helping the poor. Screw the poor!
nyc728
Hopefully we've developed lasers by then and just blast 'em like the video  game!
AlphaOmega80537
Could we be lucky enough to have at least a fragment of it (say the size of a large house) hit Washington, DC?
OsborneLV
@AlphaOmega80537 Hey, DC has the Mall, the smithsonian there is amazing, i'd be sad if that were destroyed. would love for it to hit the middle east and kill all those wackos. I'd actually believe in god if that were to happen.
jaynuman
We should probably spend a trillion just to blow it up. Then again, the cost of saving the planet could exceed our budget.
dctech08
sounds like a huge pay day for James Cameron and the other space rock miners.
Saltiva
@dctech08 The Prequel to the Sequel "TItavitar-lienator" coming soon as James Cameron explores for the first time Asteroid 2013 TV135.  Brought to you in Super Dooper 16k HD at super High velocity frame rates of 200 fps and in Ultra 5D with sight, sound, feel, smell and 3d.  Prepare yourself!
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