Counting; Day 1

Giant asteroid possibly on collision course with Earth



By [url=/people/Marcus575]Marcus575[/url] | Posted 20 hours ago | Pasadena, California

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If astronomers are right, all life on this planet could be extinguished in less than 30 years from now. Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have detected a large object the size of Manhattan possibly on a collision course with Earth. Using their Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE), the 10-mile wide object was found approximately 51 million miles from Earth. Scientists believe that during a close encounter with Mars, the asteroid was nudged slightly off its usual orbit and may currently be on a high speed collision course with our fragile planet.

The asteroid is calculated to have a potentially lethal encounter with the Earth on March 35, 2041. Astronomers have placed the odds of an impact at 1 in 2.04, which is by far the most unprecedented risk ever faced to humanity, let alone from asteroids. Such an impact could potentially end civilization as we know it.

More information will be posted here as the story develops...

I remember the song;

“Bye Bye Love…Bye Bye Happiness, Hello loneliness, I think I’m goanna cry…Bye Bye my love good bye.”

(CNN) -- On a day when global doomsday predictions failed to pan out, NASA had more good news for the Earth: An asteroid feared to be on a collision course with our planet no longer poses a threat.
Uncertainties about the orbit of the asteroid, known as 2011 AG5, previously allowed for a less than a 1% chance it would hit the Earth in February 2040, NASA said.
To narrow down the asteroid's future course, NASA put out a call for more observation. Astronomers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa took up the task and managed to observe the asteroid over several days in October.
"An analysis of the new data conducted by NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, shows that the risk of collision in 2040 has been eliminated," NASA declared Friday.
The new observations, made with the Gemini 8-meter telescope in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, reduce the orbit uncertainties by more than a factor of 60. That means the Earth's position in February 2040 is not in range of the asteroid's possible future paths.

Perhaps they should start a lottery.  The odds seem to be about the same.  If the Lottery is based on the asteroid hitting the earth, then the winner is the loser.

Abe F. March wrote:

Perhaps they should start a lottery.  The odds seem to be about the same.  If the Lottery is based on the asteroid hitting the earth, then the winner is the loser.

They released the news, then they said, “It won’t hit us.” They spent three days using computers, and it said it would hit. Now they say it won’t. If it is going to hit, they would not want people to know it…the world would go mad.

They could blow it up, (maybe) but than we’d have chunks the size of buses hitting all over the place. One good size chunk could destroy this earth. Governments never tell the truth.

You are right Abe, if someone won, we would all lose.

They already made the movie.  I think Bruce Willis destroyed it with some special bomb or at least turned it away.  I think it would have to be moved to another orbit - as destruction would still rain down a mess on the earth.

A lesson does lie within however.  We worry about so many things on a daily basis not ever thinking like we did in the late 50's that tomorrow might not come for anyone.  In those days they built bomb shelters in basements and neighborhoods - as if that would make a difference.

World powers have the potential to destroy the populations of the earth in an instance.  Nuclear reactors can alone make a mess of things. Nature has the power to destroy the populations of the earth - and does so in the thousands more often than we note through natural disasters.

I am sure for people in remote areas subject to natural disasters it seems as if the entire world has come to an end when a disaster strikes.

The lesson?  We need to spend more time each day in appreciation for what we have, giving love and kindness to those around us and sharing our plenty.  What good is storing up material wealth that in reality could disappear tomorrow?

Even the pretty good odds of hurricanes where I live has altered my collection of decorative things of value.  I admire pretty things on display but don't need them for my comfortable home.  I eliminated many things with the thought of the mess they would represent after a hurricane.  My goal is a home I could rent out as is with one room locked with my possessions.

I haven't reached my goal.  However, I haven't purchased anything in a long time.  The last purchase was a recliner chair at a very modest, on sale price.