You know that asteroid set to slam into us in 2040? - Basketball Forum : Professional and College Basketball Forums

**RollWithEm** · 12-26-2012, 10:05 AM

Quote:

NASA's Near-Earth Object Program announced on Friday that "the risk of collision in 2040 has been eliminated," because "the Earth's position in February 2040 no longer falls within the range of possible future paths."

That's a big relief.

Quote:

The asteroid will still pass fairly close to our planet, but not close enough to end our existence. Bad news for all you conspiracy theorists, unless of course you're the kind of conspiracy theorist who believes the government is lying about 2011 AG's lack of threat in order to wipe out most of humankind. In which case, good news for conspiracy theorists.

Interesting point made by Blastr.

**R-Star** · 12-26-2012, 10:06 AM

Hopefully its a good show where its huge and clearly visible in the sky.

**Hyperion** · 12-26-2012, 12:49 PM

Even of it were to collide into earth, we'd be able to stop it. The impactisn't for 30 years. Look at how far we've come with our space program in 30 years. We launched a space station in 1986 and we uh... err... landed a car on mars.

In second thought, good thing it's passing by harmlessly.

**Bogg** · 12-26-2012, 12:56 PM

Nothing fun ever happens in this solar system.......

**Krstic All-Star** · 12-26-2012, 01:46 PM

By 2040 both Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck will be too old to save us... [hell, Bruce might not even be around by then]

**E.H. Munro** · 12-26-2012, 03:03 PM

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Originally Posted by Krstic All-Star

By 2040 both Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck will be too old to save us... [hell, Bruce might not even be around by then]

I'm pretty sure that The Expendables XXXIX is set for release that June.

**Geaux Tigers** · 12-27-2012, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hyperion

Even of it were to collide into earth, we'd be able to stop it. The impactisn't for 30 years. Look at how far we've come with our space program in 30 years. We launched a space station in 1986 and we uh... err... landed a car on mars.

In second thought, good thing it's passing by harmlessly.

The Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990 has completely revolutionized how we view the universe. It's still been a minute since then though.

**Hyperion** · 12-27-2012, 07:36 PM

Of course we can't forget the telescope that we didn't check to see if the mirror was working before we sent it to space, forcing a second mission to fix the mirror, making the mission cost double.

**ChrisWoj** · 12-28-2012, 01:20 AM

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Originally Posted by Hyperion

Of course we can't forget the telescope that we didn't check to see if the mirror was working before we sent it to space, forcing a second mission to fix the mirror, making the mission cost double.

If you can't get past that, then you haven't the slightest clue how important the Hubble has been.

**ChrisWoj** · 12-28-2012, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R-Star

Hopefully its a good show where its huge and clearly visible in the sky.

If it isn't passing close enough to be a danger - it shouldn't be much of a show. Most of the shooting stars we see are meteorites hitting our atmosphere and compressing the air in front of them, superheating it and putting on a light show. If it isn't passing close enough to be a danger it'll pass darkly in the reaches of space. The more powerful telescopes will catch a glimpse of the sun reflecting off of it - but otherwise nothing much to be seen.

**RollWithEm** · 12-28-2012, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisWoj

If it isn't passing close enough to be a danger - it shouldn't be much of a show. Most of the shooting stars we see are meteorites hitting our atmosphere and compressing the air in front of them, superheating it and putting on a light show. If it isn't passing close enough to be a danger it'll pass darkly in the reaches of space. The more powerful telescopes will catch a glimpse of the sun reflecting off of it - but otherwise nothing much to be seen.

What would possess you to kill R-Star's buzz like that?

**Hyperion** · 12-28-2012, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisWoj

If you can't get past that, then you haven't the slightest clue how important the Hubble has been.

I'm merely pointing out that we won't be able to stop an asteroid from destroying Earth at the rate we're progressing in space. I know that the Hubble has allowed us to peer into the depths of the universes like never before and I love seeing all of these images of billions of light years away. It still won't stop an asteroid. Technologically, it's not any more advanced than the space station or the Mars car.

JonMatrix · 12-28-2012, 09:56 AM

Isn't there another one that's supposed to come close in 2029 as well? Similar situation to this, I believe. The year 2040 is so far out that it's difficult to predict the orbits on these asteroids. So after an initial red flag, it turns out to be nothing.

**RollWithEm** · 02-01-2013, 11:14 AM

Yikes! An asteroid's coming that'll get closer than Earth's satellites!

Quote:

On Feb. 15 (which, if you're keeping score, is two weeks from today), Asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass by Earth and come within 17,200 miles of the planet's surface. As you can see from the above diagram, 2012 DA14 will actually pass within the Geosynchronous Ring, which means that it will briefly be closer to Earth than many communications satellites that are in either geosynchronous or geostationary orbits.

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"This is a record-setting close approach," said planetary scientist Don Yeomans of NASA's Near Earth Object Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. "Since regular sky surveys began in the 1990s, we've never seen an object this big get so close to Earth."

Yeah, it sounds like a setup for an emergency mission on a secret space shuttle, but according to Yeomans we don't need to send up Bruce Willis. Though it will come very close to the planet, 2012 DA14 is "definitely" not hitting Earth. So, no need to duck and cover, but if you have a telescope you can try to catch a glimpse of the asteroid as it passes - if you're quick.

Quote:

“The asteroid will be racing across the sky, moving almost a full degree (or twice the width of a full Moon) every minute," Yeomans said in the statement. "That’s going to be hard to track."

No cause for alarm... I guess. Hope it doesn't deflect off something.

**Geaux Tigers** · 02-01-2013, 01:57 PM

I was reading an article about a few companies who are looking for capital investment to mine minerals and other elements from asteroids in space. If any of these companies go public I would buy some stock if the price was under $10 (likely). I think we are maybe 50 years away from this being a possibility, but I still plan on needing money in 50 years. My largest percentage gain in the stock market to date (300%) was off of a company that made flying cars and only made one prototype.

12-26-2012, 10:06 AM	#2 (permalink)
R-Star BBB.net Archivist Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The village of Clive, bro Age: 30 Posts: 37,805 Rep Power: 21474884	Re: You know that asteroid set to slam into us in 2040? Hopefully its a good show where its huge and clearly visible in the sky. __________________

12-26-2012, 12:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
Bogg Moderator Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 4,576 Rep Power: 3976807	Re: You know that asteroid set to slam into us in 2040? Nothing fun ever happens in this solar system.......

12-26-2012, 01:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
Krstic All-Star Legal Smeagol Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Unemployed, in Greenland?!? Age: 34 Posts: 30,657 Rep Power: 19240053	Re: You know that asteroid set to slam into us in 2040? By 2040 both Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck will be too old to save us... [hell, Bruce might not even be around by then] __________________ LIPA delenda est

12-28-2012, 09:56 AM	#13 (permalink)
JonMatrix Veteran Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,168 Rep Power: 933842	Re: You know that asteroid set to slam into us in 2040? Isn't there another one that's supposed to come close in 2029 as well? Similar situation to this, I believe. The year 2040 is so far out that it's difficult to predict the orbits on these asteroids. So after an initial red flag, it turns out to be nothing. __________________ "I'm from America,our names don't mean ---- here"-Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction Never underestimate the ability of stupid people in large groups.

02-01-2013, 01:57 PM	#15 (permalink)
Geaux Tigers Wheres the gameclock in this place? Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Louisiana Age: 28 Posts: 12,608 Rep Power: 12100097	Re: You know that asteroid set to slam into us in 2040? I was reading an article about a few companies who are looking for capital investment to mine minerals and other elements from asteroids in space. If any of these companies go public I would buy some stock if the price was under $10 (likely). I think we are maybe 50 years away from this being a possibility, but I still plan on needing money in 50 years. My largest percentage gain in the stock market to date (300%) was off of a company that made flying cars and only made one prototype. __________________ "Louisiana has a heritage of great players that play their high school football within the boundaries of Louisiana." "As soon as we know exactly who we are playing and what date we will be playing on, the schedule will become more finite." "If we're defending, come see the trophy, it's in our trophy case. We're not defending it; it's there." - Les Miles

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