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Something to Take your Mind Off the Economy..We Almost Freakin' Died
Asteroid passes close to Earth
CNN (CNN) -- You had a close encounter with a 40-yard-wide asteroid this week, but the astronomer who first spotted the large rock said it's nothing to worry about.
An asteroid (inside circle) passed within 38,000 miles of Earth on Monday.  Asteroid 2009 DD45 on Monday passed within 38,000 miles of Earth, less than twice the height of the geostationary satellites we depend on for communications, according to Robert McNaught of the Australian National University. McNaught, who watches for asteroids with his telescope 250 miles northwest of Sydney, Australia, discovered the approaching rock last week. "It's not something to worry about, but something to be aware of," he said. While a direct hit on Earth could be a devastating natural disaster, McNaught said keeping track of asteroids can make a hit "potentially preventable." "If discovered in advance and with enough lead time, there is the possibility of pushing it off course, if you have decades of advance warning," McNaught said. "If you have only a few days, you can evacuate the area of impact, but there's not a great deal [else] you can do." In either case, he said, a global catastrophe as depicted in Hollywood movies such as "Deep Impact" is "very, very unlikely." The 2009 DD45 asteroid circles the sun every 18 months, but its path will not threaten this planet at least for the next century, he said. The number of "potentially harmful asteroids" discovered each year has grown dramatically over the past decade as "systematic programs" to scan the skies have been put in place, McNaught said. Nearly 100 new ones have been found in each of the past several years, he said. 72 comments from 13 users
posted by
adampayne
on Mar 4, 2009 at 08:29 AM
Forget Deep Impact, we've got Bruce Willis to save us from Armageddon. Whew! posted by
gsisola
on Mar 4, 2009 at 08:41 AM
Well there would have been some relief from... Octomom, the economy, stimulus, Obama, bailouts, automakers. CEO's. global warming... and on and on and on... see there is some good in everything. posted by
CatherineBaker
on Mar 4, 2009 at 08:56 AM
Yeah, what we need is some big natural disaster to take our minds off all this bad news. In a similiar vein, there was a story last night on TV about how The Big One is overdue to rattle Los Angeles. The seismologists say there's a 99% chance that LA will get a major earthquake within the next 30 years. Only 99%? Good thing Cali's so flush with money to take care of it! And of course, we can always rely on Uncle Moneybags and FEMA to help, too. Whew! posted by
witterpitters
on Mar 4, 2009 at 09:12 AM
A good "shake up" might send the illegals back to Mexico!! and maybe we could have ocean front property and then we wouldn't have to "split" the state ourselves, like some want to do!!!!!!! LOL Would also "shake up" the D.C. folks as they would have to stop sinking the whole US and take care of the "sinking" end of Calif!!! posted by
catpaw
on Mar 4, 2009 at 09:24 AM
Sounds like a pretty sizeable chunk. I'm sure we'd feel its affects no matter where it hit. posted by
Lingtaowoo
on Mar 4, 2009 at 09:49 AM
Wrong ~Witters~...the one thing WE Mexicans know how to do is...Run...Jump...and Swim.... :-))) posted by
witterpitters
on Mar 4, 2009 at 09:52 AM
LOL LOL LING!!!! hubby is Native American & Mexican - so he reminded this French Canadian about that!!!!! posted by
Lingtaowoo
on Mar 4, 2009 at 09:56 AM
Hot blooded AND tempered man...I know....I'm mexican and apache....and 100% American.... posted by
Lingtaowoo
on Mar 4, 2009 at 10:05 AM
As far as that BIG rock missing Earth...darn it----it would have made everything that we've been hearing in the news seem so small....and of course...Rush would say it's The President's fault also... :-))) posted by
randomfactor
on Mar 4, 2009 at 10:05 AM
It would've been Bush's fault, Ling. Fortunately Obama pushed it aside at the last minute. posted by
Lingtaowoo
on Mar 4, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Do I hear the theme song to Superman in the background.... posted by
Lingtaowoo
on Mar 4, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Sorry I highjacked this ~AudreyB~...but one more thing and I'll shut up..(yea,right)....Let's say Rush --HUFFED...AND PUFFED...AND BLEEEWWW that nasty rock away..... We all know what a blow hard he is...so it's not impossible.... My name is " LING "...and I approve this message.... :-))) posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Cat I saw that show about the "BIG ONE" too. A break in that fault line is 100 years overdue. That particular portion of the San Andreas fault gives way every 200 years. The last time it shook was 300 years ago when LA was inhabited by 160 people. The only building in LA was a misson. When the big one happens this time, all hell will break loose. posted by
Lingtaowoo
on Mar 4, 2009 at 10:53 AM
And it suppose to move at least 25'.....that's some shaking--and L.A. would be a mess... posted by
CatherineBaker
on Mar 4, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Yeah, and they showed how the strata below has moved 300 inches in the last 300 years, but the granite we're sitting on hasn't budged--yet. It's getting streeetched, and it's gonna *snap* at some point. Just what California needs right now. Haha! The show after that was kinda funny. They were acting all mysterious about how Loch Ness was formed. I told my hubby it's a fault lake. They went round and round about it, dragging out the hour, and all they needed to do was look at the topographical map and you could clearly see the fault that divides Scotland! Duh! [Anyway, it was kinda like reading an Agatha Christie and knowing who did it by the first page.] See what sharing your love of geology with your kids does, Mom? It ruins TV! posted by
sagefever
on Mar 4, 2009 at 11:05 AM
I wondered who would post about this~ thanks Audrey. No really. LOL I broke out in hives upon hearing ,this my ulcer is threatening to burst, but it is okay......really...a earthquake in LA you say. My, more good news, I am sure we'd hardly even feel it here. Enjoy today folks~ you never know,do you?
posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 11:12 AM
That asteroid passed between the Earth and the Moon. That's too close for comfort. I was wondering this morning how our government would react if we were in the direct path a major, earth shattering hit. Would they, like the movies of the 1950's, not tell us for our own sakes. If they knew for certain that the world was going to be destroyed in 18 months or less, would they tell us? Probably NOT. posted by
msjenny
on Mar 4, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Enjoy today as tomorrow is promise to no one. Does make one wonder, Audrey if they would.
posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Ms J Would there be chaos or would people go quietly. posted by
sagefever
on Mar 4, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Both. I can see humanity breaking into several fractions~ but I'd like to think~ much like the humans on the planes before they hit the buildings the folks inside who knew death was certain~ that in the last few hours love would be what would matter to the vast majority. I'd like to see us go out with a little dignity.
posted by
randomfactor
on Mar 4, 2009 at 11:41 AM
Chaos. But at least we could stop worrying about budget deficits. posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 11:44 AM
I wonder if there's been any scientific studies done on this subject, Sage. As for me, I'd like to go out like the people in "On The Beach". But I'd stick around to make sure the babies and young children in my extended family were cared for until the end. This is the stuff of a dozen or more Sci Fi books I've read over the years. Interesting, but sad. posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Ah... trust Random to find the upside to total extinction. posted by
msjenny
on Mar 4, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Like Sage I believe it would be both. For me the question I would ask myself do I really want to know? posted by
msjenny
on Mar 4, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Right now I listening to "Lord loves a drinking man" I would like a good drink and a good smoke before I go...LOL posted by
sagefever
on Mar 4, 2009 at 12:49 PM
ms jenny~ that has always been my scenario of what to do before "the end". Plus a copy of "Be Here Now" to read and I am good to go. posted by
CatherineBaker
on Mar 4, 2009 at 01:16 PM
There is no way I would go out without a fight, if at all possible. I would fight and scratch and claw my way some kind of survival. I have no choice--I've got two little ones who need a chance, and who need their mom. There is nothing I wouldn't do. My husband had better exhibit this same level of committment, too, or he'll be the first person we eat. posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 01:48 PM
Gosh There's no reason for me to stay around to the bitter end if you're scratching and clawing to stay alive. I'll just go out like Ava Gardiner, watching the sunset while drinking a lethal cocktail. posted by
CatherineBaker
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:01 PM
Well, it's your choice, Mom, although I would fight and scratch on you behalf, too. : ) But if you wanna go out like Ava Gardner you'll be the second person we eat. posted by
witterpitters
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:22 PM
Actually, if something were coming towards the earth to blow it up - we'd ALL be gone in a nano second. So, If I knew it was a-comin' I'd get my bottle of Bailey's and a straw and start suggin' it down!!! Did eny of you see the history channel's computer-aided documentary about what the would would be like after there were no more humans? Everything else would be here, just not us! Took the senerio all the way through another ice age, desert, flood and back to green again! Was cool!!! Oh ya.....................cockroaches survive!!!!!! ALL of it!!! posted by
CatherineBaker
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:27 PM
Witters: I think you're talking about this one. http://www.youtube.com/watc... posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:36 PM
I saw it Witters. It made me feel pretty insignificant. posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:42 PM
Cat Wasn't it called "Life After People" or something like that. It was the most interesting show I've seen in years. posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:45 PM
Anybody want to guess what man made structure would last the longest? posted by
LoveVintage
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:46 PM
Sorry people, but I would find the sexiest man alive (and around) & make mad passionate love, of course while drinking that famous lethal drink....I'd die a fulfilled woman in more ways than one. Sure hope when it happens, I have time to find that sexy man. posted by
sagefever
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:47 PM
"The space rock measured between 69 feet and 154 feet in diameter. The Planetary Society said that made it about the same size as the asteroid that exploded over Siberia in 1908 and leveled more than 800 square miles of forest. Scientists at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia spotted 2009 DD45 and began tracking it in late February when it was about 1 million miles away. Spahr said he knew within an hour of that discovery that it would pose no threat to Earth. Of the known space rocks, the next time an object will get closer to Earth will be in 2029 when an 885-foot asteroid called 99942 Apophis comes within 20,000 miles, said Donald Yeomans of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Last year, the asteroid 2008 TC3 harmlessly burned up in Earth's atmosphere over Africa 19 hours after it was discovered. Astronomers gave a six-hour notice warning of that fiery plunge." Six hours is plenty of time to drink. I'd sure like to be around for the 2029 fly-by.
posted by
sagefever
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:49 PM
Hum.....an underground bunker somewhere? Spam Code: SEX WM I am not kidding! posted by
Lingtaowoo
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:53 PM
I LIKE WHAT ~LOVEVINTAGE~ SAID....minus the spiked cool-aide though... posted by
witterpitters
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:56 PM
Nope not that one CAT. I was incorrect on the channel, it is NatGeo: Aftermath: Life After People
Drastic changes to the environment. Animals running wild. Meltdowns and explosions all over the world. This is what life will be like on earth from day ten to one year after humans vanish from existence. Below are some of the changes that could effect earth between day 10 and the first year without the human race. Cattle Can't Survive - Dairy cows need to be milked every day or their udders will get infected. Without humans to take care of them, many have died. Nuclear Meltdown - Super-heated steam pours out of nuclear power plants as spent nuclear fuel boils the water in cooling tanks. Buildings buckle under the intense heat. As radioactive fallout spreads, nearby forests are decimated. Pine trees turn red as chlorophyll is damaged. Radioactive Aftermath - Large animals are fleeing areas where plants have died from radiation. Smaller animals aren't as fortunate. They live on the forest floor where leaves and dirt are coated with radioactive material. Within the next ten years half the rodents and insects in the tainted areas will die. Large forests have become eerily quiet. Radioactive Recovery - Trees within five miles of the nuclear power plant meltdowns can't regenerate. Further away, rainstorms are washing the radioactive particles into the ground. Weather Changes - Much of the radiation has fallen out of the skies. Without humans, cities are quiet. The weather is changing, too. With less dust in the air, less rain falls in cities. The cleaner air increases visibility, in some cities from 20 to 100 miles. Unconventional Clashes - Packs of wild dogs have reached the countryside in search of food. Without easy prey, they're willing to attack just about anything, including escaped elephants. World Without Polluters - Without cars pumping seven billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year, greenhouse pollution begins to abate. New plants and leaves draw carbon from the air, helping to remove human pollution. posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:57 PM
Gosh Sage I didn't think of that. That's a good guess. I said the Great Wall of China but that wasn't right either. Love Vintage I don't think you'll have trouble finding a man who'll be willing to spend your last hours with you. Better get a pencil and paper for the list of volunteers. posted by
bakoblue
on Mar 4, 2009 at 02:57 PM
AudreyBon Mar 4, 2009 at 02:45 PM Anybody want to guess what man made structure would last the longest? Joan Rivers?
posted by
LoveVintage
on Mar 4, 2009 at 03:01 PM
*Giggles* Sage....that's one great omen! posted by
CatherineBaker
on Mar 4, 2009 at 03:02 PM
Oh Yeah, I saw that one, Witters. It's funny, I guess, but this is one subject that I can't display equanimity about. So if I knew for sure that his planet had six hours until annhilation, I would spend it in bed with my baby, my son and my husband, clutching them and kissing them, and sobbing. posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 03:03 PM
Bakoblue Thanks for the laugh! But you're wrong. She'd be the second longest lasting man made structure to survive. a hint Man didn't make the entire thing, just a portion of it. posted by
sagefever
on Mar 4, 2009 at 03:06 PM
LovesVintage~ I thought so! Cat~ you know what? You might cry at bit~ but think how much more upset that would make your kids... you strike me as the sort who would be as brave as possible for their sakes.
posted by
witterpitters
on Mar 4, 2009 at 03:06 PM
It's either the Eiffel tower or hoover dam - can't remember!!!! posted by
msjenny
on Mar 4, 2009 at 03:07 PM
I know I am not going to be near Cat, she might eat us while still alive....like those people did in the Andes when the plane crashed,,,lol and I won't have time for my drink or smoke....lol Love Vintage gave me a idea maybe if I want to survive I hope "Bear" from the show Man vs Wild is near me,,,you know that saying if you were in a desert island who would want with you,,I told my husband I would want "Bear" instead of him cause he can survive anywhere of course he was not happy, lol no sense of humor i guess lol posted by
witterpitters
on Mar 4, 2009 at 03:08 PM
MOI' is going out laughing at the irony of it all!!!!! posted by
AudreyB
on Mar 4, 2009 at 03:11 PM
Witters Both of those things lasted a loooong time, but neither is the right answer. Did you know that there were two documentaries about this subject. One on Discovery Channel and one on A&E (Ithink). One was "life after people" and I can't remember what the other one was called but it was just as good in it's own way. That documentary is where I got this question. I got it wrong by the way. posted by
LoveVintage
on Mar 4, 2009 at 03:14 PM
Yep msjenny, men just don't get it when we say what's on our mind. No sense of humor at all...or was it because you meant it & he sensed it?!!! Audrey, I don't want lots of men...just the sexiest I can find & he'll definitely need viagra...LOL!  Loading Stories
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