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Big rock heading for us in 2040


PromoTheRobot

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About 40 years too late it will land directly on Tom Brady.

While taking out Brady with an asteroid the size of a football field has a certain appeal, I'm unclear about how big an asteroid it takes to create an "extinction event" for mankind.

 

So I'd settle for taking Brady out with a mere house-sized asteroid (kind of like the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz) - - one came pretty close yesterday:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46578872/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/leap-day-asteroid-zooms-harmlessly-past-earth/

 

Yesterday's near miss was by 446,000 miles (about twice the earth-moon distance), yet generated no discussion of keyhole passage that might create a potential for striking Brady on a future orbit. The much larger asteroid mentioned in the OP won't get that close to earth when it travels through a more distant potential keyhole 1,860,000 miles from earth in 2023.

 

Did the orbit of yesterday's smaller, closer asteroid get changed so much yesterday that it will be farther away on the next pass, while the bigger, more distant asteroid might get a smaller future orbital change that would create the possibility of an earth strike? Or is a future house-sized earth strike merely an acceptable outcome that wouldn't generate discussion of a "deflection mission?"

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The size of a rock ending mankind as we know it prolly depends on the trajectory almost as much as the size. Speed must play an important role as well. Also, what is said rock made of and what percentage of it will survive entry before hitting ground level. Ugh too many factors, and who wants to think of our demise anyway. :-p

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While taking out Brady with an asteroid the size of a football field has a certain appeal, I'm unclear about how big an asteroid it takes to create an "extinction event" for mankind.

 

So I'd settle for taking Brady out with a mere house-sized asteroid (kind of like the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz) - - one came pretty close yesterday:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46578872/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/leap-day-asteroid-zooms-harmlessly-past-earth/

 

Yesterday's near miss was by 446,000 miles (about twice the earth-moon distance), yet generated no discussion of keyhole passage that might create a potential for striking Brady on a future orbit. The much larger asteroid mentioned in the OP won't get that close to earth when it travels through a more distant potential keyhole 1,860,000 miles from earth in 2023.

 

Did the orbit of yesterday's smaller, closer asteroid get changed so much yesterday that it will be farther away on the next pass, while the bigger, more distant asteroid might get a smaller future orbital change that would create the possibility of an earth strike? Or is a future house-sized earth strike merely an acceptable outcome that wouldn't generate discussion of a "deflection mission?"

 

Hey, if the world's going to end, I'll at least have that brief moment of glory knowing that Brady was the first to go.

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96

I have as much or more respect for old people than anyone, but let's face it they no longer have the ability to count after about 72.

 

The size of a rock ending mankind as we know it prolly depends on the trajectory almost as much as the size. Speed must play an important role as well. Also, what is said rock made of and what percentage of it will survive entry before hitting ground level. Ugh too many factors, and who wants to think of our demise anyway. :-p

 

 

Somewhere in DC, a guy named Tom is looking for his recently stolen thunder.

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