On 2.15.13, an asteroid the size of an office building will pass very close to the Earth. It’s a close encounter of a kind that happens only rarely:
It will be the nearest recorded brush with a space rock so large, NASA scientists said Thursday.
(The Washington Post/NASA) – A chunk of rock about half the length of a football field — travelling at almost 5 miles per second — will pass about 17,200 miles from Earth on Friday.
The good news: There’s no chance of an impact. At its closest, asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass about 17,000 miles above Earth.
The bad news: A million other potentially dangerous — and unknown — city-killing space rocks are out there, and one of them could be on a collision course with Earth. Critics say NASA and other space agencies are not doing enough to scan for these threats.
“It’s like Mother Nature sending a warning shot across our bow,” said Don Yeomans, who tracks asteroids for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
So, Asteroids: Big Problem or Not Worth Worrying Over?
I’m in the Not Worth Worrying Over category, as I think we’ve the time and will develop the technology to manage these risks.
What do you think?
Panic in the Sky! This looks like a Job for Superman!!!!
i still remember the sound of that game thats when there were sill arcades too
I think we are okay for now, but maybe a specific plan eventually would be a good idea
Very nice WEDC posts, by the way 🙂
get Bruce Willis from Armaggedon
Here’s more about the 1950s Superman tv series episode that The Phantom Stranger’s mentioned:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_in_the_Sky_(Adventures_of_Superman_episode)
Very cool stuff.
I’m in the “keep calm and carry on” camp. The earth has been hit by celestial bodies in the past and it will be hit again. When this eventuality occurs, I doubt there will be anything we can do about it anyway. To say NASA isn’t doing enough is like blaming a weather forecaster for not preventing a hurricane.