yeah, this is very odd as far as the timing and them making an announcement

Thing is, who says it's alone?

Tunguska was estimated around 60 meters in dia. IF this was similar that is a wide area of damage. Also don't discount effects on satellites. EMP possibilities as well

Why are you so sure that it'll just go up in smoke in the atmosphere? A scientist say the absolute magnitude INDICATES blah blah blah (that doesn't sound definite to me, it seems like a very great possibility but no where close to 100%). I don't think this thing is going to see anything farther than out atmosphere but still, to be so sure of yourself that there is no possible way it could be made of something unexpected or be a different size than originally thought seems rather ignorant to me.

Think outside the box. Even if the box was supplied by a scientist. They can lie too you know.

The principal danger from meteorites these days is that they can look like nuclear airbursts to jumpy missile commanders.

Very good find. Thanks a lot to the op. Star for you.

Observations indicate that this is a small object that most probably will burn up in our atmosphere, and that it would cause limited damage even if it hit earth. We should all feel free to speculate based on that, and go in any diraction we want, but it surprises me how many people project the opinion that something devestating will happen. The opinion contradicts everything we are told by the scientits and astronomers who have observed the object, so such opinions should be comunicated in a careful manner.

It's not really the opinion in itself that is bad, it's the way it is communicated. A lot of people on ATS has this panicked rethoric whenever they communicate the possibility for something devestating to happen. You see a lot of the "" and "" type icons pop up along with a lot of exclamation marks and a general trend of users throwing themselves at every possible negative outcome they can come up with. Communicating like this is the equvialent of panicking, screaming and throwing things at people during an emergency, and generally being a part of the problem and not the solution. It's a bad way to communicate and it ruins what could have been a constructive debate on the situation at hand, because it spreads fear.

I trust the observations made by the professionals and base how I relate to this on that. For my part that means that this is exiting for me. I will try to observe the object when it hits. I have been an astronomy nut since I was a kid.

I have no reason to believe anything bad will happen, but i'm as open to the possibility as everyone else. Feel free to discuss the possibility... I am just warning about the "zomg we r going to die!!!11oneone" panic-rethoric. It's a bad thing, and way to common on these forums.



[edit on 6-10-2008 by me_ofef_seraph]