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Asteroid passes under orbit of some satellites

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posted on Dec, 22 2004 @ 10:01 AM
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Well... they discovered this thing just as it was upon us...

www.space.com...

"Astronomers spotted an asteroid this week after it had flown past Earth on a course that took it so close to the planet it was below the orbits of some satellites.
"The space rock was relatively small, however, and would not have posed any danger had it plunged into the atmosphere.
"The object, named 2004 YD5, was about 16 feet (5 meters) wide, though that's a rough estimate based on its distance and assumed reflectivity. Had it entered the atmosphere, it would have exploded high up, experts figure."


Though this thing was not a threat... it makes you wonder about how confident we should feel in regards to detecting incomming asteroids. Even if, in the near future, we have a class of satellites that can launch on a moment's notice and fire 'impactor'-derived nuclear warheads at asteroids... what are the odds that we will be able to detect a dangerous one in time when it eventually does come?



posted on Dec, 22 2004 @ 10:03 AM
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It was once said, that the number of people in the world charged with looking for Near Earth Asteroids, wouldn't be sufficient to staff a small McDonalds.

Sleep tight...



posted on Dec, 22 2004 @ 04:07 PM
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Sad thing is is that this really isn't that uncommon. And yeah, as Gazrok said... not many people spend time looking for these things.



posted on Dec, 22 2004 @ 04:46 PM
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Yes, but if that thing is as small as that, as small as it can't be a danger because it would simply disintegrate when it enters the atmosphere, how many people do you think it would take to notice it against the background? And for how long?

Those so insignificant things don't really deserve to be noticed, because really they're not a danger. The really dangerous things can be spotted by a regular sized Mac Donalds staff with the right telescopes and binoculars even if they work a few hours a week.

Btw, I think that if I read in the news that someone (even if they're not working in a Mac Donalds "restaurant") spotted an asteroid that would hit earth and destroy most everything on it, I wouldn't worry too much: if I'm "lucky" enough to survive the impact itself, I would likely die in a short time afterwards, and whatever is the end of it, I can't do anything against it happening...


E_T

posted on Dec, 23 2004 @ 02:18 AM
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5 meters object could cause danger only if it's solid chunk of iron.

These small few meter sized stones would be really hard to detect from farther away, remember that diameter is one thing which affects to brightness of them.



posted on Dec, 23 2004 @ 01:46 PM
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An update that makes mention of other close passes (and, you guessed it, the nearest pass ever was only detected when it was right on top of us):

www.space.com...

BTW, I've heard commentators on radio shows say that this particular asteroid would have exploded with the force of an atomic bomb if it entered the atmosphere. Does anyone have any idea where they are getting that from?


E_T

posted on Dec, 23 2004 @ 04:29 PM
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Originally posted by onlyinmydreams
BTW, I've heard commentators on radio shows say that this particular asteroid would have exploded with the force of an atomic bomb if it entered the atmosphere. Does anyone have any idea where they are getting that from?
At the time of cold war military satellites monitored earth continuously for ballistic missile launches, nuclear tests and other kind of things. Those satellites detected also explosions in upper atmosphere, some of these weer even in class of hundreds kilotons.



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