[Sticks]

On Ananova

Asteroid could wipe out a continent in 2019

Astronomers have found an asteroid that appears to be on a collision course with Earth.

It has been described as the most threatening object yet detected in space.

A preliminary orbit suggests that 2002 NT7 could strike the planet on February 1, 2019.

The BBC reports astronomers have given NT7 a threat rating on the Palermo technical scale of 0.06, making it the first object to be given a positive value.

Although they say it merits attention, they expect more observations to show it is not on an Earth-intersecting trajectory.

The asteroid is estimated to be about two kilometres wide, large enough to cause continent-wide devastation on Earth.

It was first seen on the night of July 5 by the Linear Observatory's automated sky survey programme in New Mexico.

Dr Benny Peiser, of Liverpool John Moores University, told BBC News Online: "This asteroid has now become the most threatening object in the short history of asteroid detection."

But he added: "This unique event should not diminish the fact that additional observations in coming weeks will almost certainly - we hope - eliminate the current threat."

Dr Donald Yeomans, from the US space agency's (Nasa) Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, said: "The error in our knowledge of where NT7 will be on February 1, 2019, is large, several tens of millions of kilometres."

Back to work as Prophet of Doom

[Kaz]

Surely not more threatening than THIS asteroid which you so kindly informed us about before, Sticks.

Oh, what short memories the scientists have!

They also don't appear to be very sure of their facts ...... at the start they say it COULD collide with earth, then at the end they say they don't really know where it will be.

[Amy]

There are so many asteroids out there and we have been missed loads of times ,thanks to jupiter that usually drags it in, but it always sounds scary to think that on day we could actually be hit!!!
Sorry that was quite depressing wasn't it

[WILDCHILD]

Stop this people!
Im getting scared!

[Sticks]

Originally posted by WILDCHILD
Stop this people!
Im getting scared!

Some weeks ago there was a near miss from an asteroid, in astronomical terms. It was only after it had just missed us that it was spotted.

It is said that there are more people working in an average high street Macdonalds, than assigned to searching for Near Earth Objects

An asteroid the size of Texas to go, do you want fries and a soft drink with that ?

Be afraid, be very afraid.....

From your friendly Prophet of Doom

[Glitter_babe]

No need to worry Sticks, I'm sure Superman will save us.....

On a more serious note, people will now be (I don't mean on this forum, I mean some people in the world) terrified and waiting for this to happen - do we really need to know about this asteroid NOW, years before it hits??

I go by the "What will be will be" principle, although I'm sure that the Scientists will find a way to stop it hitting - havent you seen Armageddon and Deep Impact folks?

Actually, bad examples, lots of people die in them, don't they............

At least by the time we die (if it does hit) we'll have lived through another 7 or so Big Brothers, gradually getting worse with each series, as the producers try to find 'new' ideas..........They could use it as a task - you know, stop the asteroid using three cardboard boxes and a battery......

[Kaz]

They could use it as a task - you know, stop the asteroid using three cardboard boxes and a battery......

Nice one, Glitterbabe!

It would certainly be better than most of the paltry tasks they were given this year!

Today's motto: Smile - it might never happen!

[LEE]

They were talking about is at great length on Radio 4 earlier today. The scientists have found an asteroid that they think could collide with earth in 17 years time, however, it is currently too far away for them to be certain. They are reasonably confident that as the asteroid gets closer and they can measure the trajectory more acurately they will find that it is going to miss earth altogether.

The guy I heard talking abuot it this morning said that it had been spotted 3 weeks ago and they had been monitoring it carefully. He said it was the biggest threat they had so far detected, but that this did not really mean anything, as the current data was so inaccurate that they wouldn't be able to tell for quite a while yet what its exact course was likely to be. He also said that it was more than likely to miss us altogether, and by quite a significant margin at that.

[Romantic Old Bird]

I am sure that if Jade wins big brother on Friday the decibels from the screech she emits will reverberate throughout the left spiral arm of the galaxy, thus subtly realigning the relationship of the planets and consequently saving the world.

[LEE]

I am sure that if Jade wins big brother on Friday the decibels from the screech she emits will reverberate throughout the left spiral arm of the galaxy, thus subtly realigning the relationship of the planets and consequently saving the world.

But I'm afraid even this wouldn't tempt me to vote for her. I'll opt for the asteroid thanks.

[Sticks]

This is was in the Daily Star this morning

[Amy]

Did anyone read the sun today? They came up with ten ways to avoid the asteroid they were VERY funny

[monty_parrot]

My idea mimicks that of the daily star..firstly, have Jade put on a very intense eating programme, and then attach her to a specially built N.A.S.A catapult and then fire!!
The asteroid will see 'it' coming crap its stoney pants and head off back into outer space!! ta-da xxx monty

[bananarama]

A preliminary orbit suggests that 2002 NT7 could strike the planet on February 1, 2019.


No problem!!! They will just have to bring forward BB20 to November 2018.

[Sticks]

The end of the world may have been put back to 2060

see this link

[bananarama]

Bringer of good news!!!That means a total of 58 more BB'S.
On BB58 the house will be divided by an asteroid. The winner will be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sticks]

A young female has been injured due toa meteorite landing See this link

These events are more common than we realise.

I dread to think what will happen if certain candidates are mor successful than Mort at getting Grimmy's job

[James]

You couldn’t have watched ‘The Sky at Night’ the other week, Sticks. If you had you would have seen how they put these scare stories in context.

It’s difficult to accurately position these asteroids in space. The only way is to carry out measurements over a long period of time. That’s why meteors that make headline news one week turn out to be harmless the next.

As for small meteorites, these hit the Earth all the time but don’t pose (much) threat to us because they are slowed down from their cosmic speeds by the planet’s atmosphere. There hasn’t been an incident recorded in the last hundred years of a meteorite killing a person. Apparently though, two cows have bitten the dust in this manner.