Huge asteroid to fly by Earth Thursday

[.Neo]

Our detection methods are getting better. Really quite something to think about, with all these rocks, how our planet isn't hit more often.

You really don't know much regarding this subject do you? :/ We get hit by tons of rocks every single day. Most of it burns up in the atmosphere and never makes it to the surface.

[f0rk_b0mb]

Our detection methods are getting better. Really quite something to think about, with all these rocks, how our planet isn't hit more often.

Rather interesting. I do hope we never get hit.

[exotoxic]

2012 LZ1 just popped onto astronomers' radar this week. It was discovered on the night of June 10-11 by Rob McNaught and his colleagues

Hmm i thought scientists were monitoring for "potentially hazardous" objects?? suppose it was on a direct collision course what use would it be with only 3-4 days notice, not that i think we could stop a head on collision if it ever came to it.

[Dot Matrix]

You really don't know much regarding this subject do you? :/ We get hit by tons of rocks every single day. Most of it burns up in the atmosphere and never makes it to the surface.

I meant bigger stuff than particle sized bits.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Well, it's not small, but certainly not huge either in the grand scheme of things.

That's what she said...

[HSoft]

Anyone know if this will be visible on the east coast of North America?

Not unless you have a really powerful telescope, a good size dobsonian might be able to view it.

[Hum]

About 2 hours, something supposed to be watchable here:

http://events.slooh.com/

Why is the sky getting dark ....

[Original Poster]

At the speed it's traveling 500 meters across is enough to wipe out most of the EU f it were to impact. So yeah, it's pretty important to track those things.

then lets hope it hits america instead :D

[Astra.Xtreme]

then lets hope it hits america instead :D

Oooo, that's weak! :pinch:

[Noir Angel]

The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs is only estimated to have been about half a mile wide (around 800M) so 500M is by no means small, it would still have the power to decimate most of the life on earth.

[De.Bug]

It's the speed at which it's traveling that makes it "huge". If that asteroid were to hit the Earth, it would probably wipe out a continent.

Doubtful, I believe it would lose 75% of it's mass in the atmosphere.

[Twiddle]

then lets hope it hits america instead :D

Or (hypothetically) let's hope it hits the ocean... Or maybe Antarctica...

Instead of hoping it hits a place populated...

-1

I, too, wonder how/when a large rock will actually hit us though. Glad they pass by, atleast.

[ANON86364]

The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs is only estimated to have been about half a mile wide (around 800M) so 500M is by no means small, it would still have the power to decimate most of the life on earth.

I'm with this guy:

Doubtful, I believe it would lose 75% of it's mass in the atmosphere.

I believe the asteroid that wiped the dinosaurs was that big on impact.

[Detection]

What sort of direction are we looking in the UK ?

(Apart from up obviously :p )

[Dot Matrix]

The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs is only estimated to have been about half a mile wide (around 800M) so 500M is by no means small, it would still have the power to decimate most of the life on earth.

According to Wikipedia:

The rock that created the KT extinction was 6 miles (10 km) in diameter.

The rock that created the Tunguska Explosion was only 60 meters in diameter.

This rock would make it to the ground, but according to : http://www.permanent.com/asteroids-impact-earth-neo.html, a 500 meter rock has the potential to cause enough damage to destroy a small country. While a significant hit, devastation would be locally confined if on land, but an ocean impact would have greater damaging potential from the resulting tsunami.

[Detection]

Live here

[Growled Member]

Did I miss it? Are we dead yet?

[Hum]

^ Yes

[Growled Member]

^ Darn.