Friday, April 13 — The asteroid 99942 Apophis (previously better known by its provisional designation 2004 MN4) will pass within 30,000 km (18,600 mi) of the Earth, very briefly appearing as bright as 3rd magnitude. A possibility exists that Apophis could go through a 400 m wide "keyhole" on this pass which would have put Apophis on a collision course with the Earth in 2036 [1]. something I found on wikipedia after watching the discovery channel... I guess, the reason I brought it up is because...are you afraid? 2029 is really close... I dont really know what to do, but I can say that I am not so scared...maybe because I live in "the moment," I really dont know...its said that Apophis will hit the Earth and cause extinction like the meteor that did to the dinosaurs... NASA said that they are trying to fix it, by sending little satelites that'll stick to the meteor and release engines to slowly pull the meteor out of its course with earth. Best case scenario, we'll be able to get the meteor to barely miss us.
Discovery channel is always awesome. I find it interesting that this is always in the news yet barely anyone pays it any attention. Maybe something will happen in 20 years, maybe not till 2036. If worst comes to worst, call Bruce Willis.
Ahh, I doubt it'll really happen. I haven't done research on it, nor do I ever on these subjects. I just don't think it will. XD EDIT: And come to think of it, I probably wouldn't care if it happened. I'd live every minute as casual and as relaxed as possible till the second I was killed by such a mass explosion. By that time I'd probably be out of college, chillin' it old-school at my house and be a lot more prepared for something like that.
I'm not afraid. There's always a chance that we'll survive but if we die, it's god's choice, not ours.
By the time we reach 2036, we'll probably have WMD's capable of blowing that sucker out of the sky. :\
Yeah, I've heard of this. For those who keep griping that we spend too much in space awareness and technology for space exploration...this will come as a surprise won't it? There is a possibility this could happen though it seems quite slim in odds by what I've read from the NASA reports the public can see. However, it is worth at least keeping an eye on. I remember in 2004, I think December, there was a scare about it. The chances of it impacting earth seem small but yeah, it is something to watch for and we may even have the tech to deal with it should it come to the fact that we are actually in some danger. In 2013 apparently is the next best opportunity for scientists to get more readings on Apophis so I guess we wait till then and find out if anything changes or not. I'm not really scared of it though. In a way I kind of find it cool that it will come so close and we can see it and I'd be out getting my telescope because I'm a geek like that. Of course if it impacts, that will suck because it would affect several kms of life and depending where it hit could make other things happen. However, no one is predicting a 'winter' effect out of it if that did happen to transpire.
Then maybe you should be extinct,and the Dinosaurs should live.:P ------------ But yeah,im kind of scared,but like people have said,its far off. NASA can fix this..not even Chuck Norris can stop an asteroid.
I doubt it. By then we'll probably have a way to destory or redirect it. Or we'll have a way to get off the planet. I also heard something about a asteriod hitting the earth in 2012. But it's probably not likely. Really how many people have claimed the end of the world? Many but did any of it happen? Well were still here so I say no.
Science says that would actually cause more damage. 1 giant meteor vs. 100000 small but still large ones that have been charged with nuclear radiation caused by the destruction of the giant one. You choose.
It's nerve-racking when you first think about it, but it's really not that scary. 1 in 45 000? I don't thing it will hit. (...... I hope)
Let's seee.... 2029... I'll be 39, and I will probably have a fantastic time watching the thingy pass us by. It sounds sexy. Hell, I'll even throw a party for it. And by 2036... I'll be what... 46.... and if the thinga-magiker hits earth, I'll gladly die with it knowing that I'd lived a substantial amount of time on earth and be quite happy to die in such an awesome way rather than to die sick in bed... BORING. Basically, I don't worry for it. It's because I care more for the present than the future. When it's about to hit earth and we're all about to die... then is when I'll panic, run, scream or dance... or do all at the same time. Besides. What Xegreny says is true... the way technology is moving nowadays... by 2036 we can have enough knowledge to get that sucker out of it's collision path from the earth. No biggie. I swear... these type of things comes up every year and some sucker falls for it and goes running through the streets screaming "WE GONNA DIEE!!!" I totally agree considering what you said right here, if the asteroid does in fact hit earth, What I'd worry about is where it will hit, who it will affect and the 'winter' effect it will/might have on earth. Those are the ONLY things I see wroth worrying over. Otherwise, I dance on the matter that I get to see an asteroid in 21 years! Yay!
I'm 100% agree with you there Darky Yep, or have a way to make it go else where. ...Just to make a little joke out of this, did anyone else find it somewhat funny, when they read 'keyhole'
You mean Chuck Norris --------- I think the meteor may break down to a slightly smaller size by the time it comes anywhere near earth. And by the time it's near earth, technology will be far more sophisticated, so all the scientists, demolition-men and so on, will be able to get that thing blown up... Or at least nudged away from here.
Scared? Maybe a tad. But NASA put out the statistics, and from what I recall, they're very low of it hitting us.
