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Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 88796
 United States
5/7/2006 1:23 PM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
Yeah Baby! New Jersey is really going to be the garden state. |
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Noah'T'Go
User ID: 90483
 United Kingdom
5/7/2006 1:33 PM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
hi guys
Where are we at with this comet?
Goldstone Asteroid Schedule
2006 GY2 was discovered by LINEAR on April 9, 2006. It will make a very close approach
within 0.017 AU (only 6.6 lunar distances) on May 16. Its physical properties are unknown,
but its absolute magnitude of 18.6 suggests a diameter within a factor of two of 600 meters.
Using past experience as a guide, there is a 1/6 chance that it is a binary.
Goldstone observations are scheduled on May 13, 14/15, and 16, and Arecibo observations are
scheduled on May 15 and 16. The Goldstone SNRs will increase rapidly from the first to the third
track as the asteroid rapidly approaches Earth.
Due to the proximity of its orbit to Earth and its diameter, 2006 GY2 has been classified as a
"Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" by the Minor Planet Center.
"2006 Jul 3, 4, and 6 2004 XP14 VERY close approach: only 1.1 lunar distances on July 3"
[link to echo.jpl.nasa.gov] |
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Small_Brother
User ID: 82547
United Kingdom
5/7/2006 1:34 PM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
(Watch the Earth not the Skies) |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 42306
 Australia
5/7/2006 2:07 PM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
These things seem as though they synchronized their watches. So many "acts of God" pouring out of air, fire, and water at this time. |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 3272
 New Zealand
5/7/2006 3:27 PM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 90532
 Canada
5/7/2006 4:05 PM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
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Gewgaw
User ID: 83507
United States
5/7/2006 4:31 PM
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This site says we're all nuts:
[link to www.skyhound.com]
"The nuts have arrived folks, with their web sites spreading doom and gloom. Will fragments of this comet strike the earth? Answer: No. The main stream of expelled material will pass 25 times as far as the moon, with the closest fragments coming no closer than many millions of km.
Are the fragments, both large and small, exploding outward at high speed? The answer is again no. This is primarily an illusion that comes about from the motion of the comet toward us. As the comet comes closer the various fragments appear to be spreading apart much faster than they really are. A similar effect is occurring where, as we get a closer look, we see more and more smaller fragments. I believe that although smaller fragments are constantly splitting away, much of what we have been seeing in the past days and weeks are existing fragments that are being revealed to us for the first time as the comet comes near."
Whew. I certainly feel safe now! |
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Emperor Kenton
User ID: 87536
United States
5/7/2006 4:56 PM
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Redheaded Stepchild nli
User ID: 64391
United States
5/7/2006 4:58 PM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 60460
United States
5/7/2006 11:09 PM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
Kent- the Kitt Peak pic you posted is from 2005. |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 80246
United States
5/7/2006 11:23 PM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
The Solar System is interesting. People have a right to be curious about what is going on. Doom-mongering isn't good, per se. Data is good. |
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andy thomas
User ID: 90701
United States
5/7/2006 11:27 PM
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SS
User ID: 90554
United States
5/7/2006 11:55 PM
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 90218
United States
5/8/2006 12:17 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
Upted to 65 now! How many more times do we have to go through the alphabet?Not good. That last Hubble image had hundreds of fragments in it.I think we will see this chart go way up.
[link to neo.jpl.nasa.gov] |
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Kent
User ID: 87536 (OP)
United States
5/8/2006 12:34 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
Trouble here, virus-hack, take me a few hours to get my system working again, including email, weird! |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 90723
United States
5/8/2006 12:35 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
"5) North Carolina will be inundated as far West as Morganton, at a distance of 200 miles inland, and at an elevation of 1160 feet.-Bob Neumann. The ocean will intrude as far as Gwinnett County, Georgia (Just Southeast of Atlanta) at an elevation of 1080 feet, and at a distance of 225 miles inland.-Ruby Golden
"
gwinnett isnt southeast of Atlanta. |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 90218
United States
5/8/2006 12:36 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
I know it changed my name here! |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 90723
United States
5/8/2006 12:37 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
"Christians will survive"
-- if even 2 christians survive that statement is true--and of course at least two will survive.
so will atheist,muslims,jews etc |
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Virtualgirl
User ID: 29026
United States
5/8/2006 12:59 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
Kent, on the last link you provided there is a clip. What is that bright light moving towards the camara? Is that the comet? wow, that looks huge! |
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Kent
User ID: 87536 (OP)
United States
5/8/2006 1:03 AM | |
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 80246
United States
5/8/2006 1:17 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
[link to star.arm.ac.uk]
This seems like a well put together document with lots of facts and figures.
3.1mb |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 80246
United States
5/8/2006 1:46 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
This is the Conclusion from the document.
20. Conclusion
The realisation that any sort of threat from collision with cosmic debris exists is a relatively recent phenomenon. As mentioned above, it was only in the latter half of the twentieth century that it was generally accepted that the craters on the moon were caused by impacts as opposed to being volcanic in origin. While there is no doubt that there is a substantial long term threat this hazard is qualitatively different from other natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods or volcanoes:
Rare.
Major impacts are rare, therefore easy to dismiss as irrelevant to the current generation. Indeed, the whole subject suffers from a substantial "giggle factor".
Devastating.
The destruction wrought by a major impact will be orders of magnitude greater than any that resulting from other natural phenomena.
Avoidable.
It is now technically possible to avoid or, at least mitigate the effects of impacts. It is now becoming clear that cosmic impacts have played an important role in the geological and environmental development of the Earth, and may even have been the dominant factor in the evolution of life. This realisation is driving a paradigm shift in scientific thinking analogous with that prompted by the publication of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection".
At the present time the only answer to questions about what is being done to predict and react to the threat of collision with a comet or asteroid is "not much". As Dr. David Morrison of the NASA Ames Space Science Division has pointed out, there are more people working in a single McDonald's fast food outlet than there are dedicated to the specific search for near Earth asteroids or short period comets, and even this number is dropping as funding becomes scarcer. However, interest is growing fast in scientific and military communities and amongst the general public as more information becomes available. While the public is still largely unaware of the potential threat, that ignorance is diminishing.
The impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter in the summer of 1994 began to increase public and political interest. The visit of Comet Hale-Bopp and the distribution of a number of television documentaries and feature films dealing with impacts will further increase public awareness. The question of global defence will surely be raised in public forum.
In September 1993, the Economist published an article, authored by Oliver Morton, entitled "The Threat from Space" which concluded with the following passage:
"There is nothing wrong with being blasé, and there is no reason to live in daily terror of death from the sky.
But there is a great danger in having minds so narrow that they can see no further than half a lifetime in each direction. The asteroidal message that matters most is that the past, and the future, may be hugely different from the present."
Those responsible for the welfare of their people might do well to take heed.
Acknowledgements.
The author would like to thank Sir Arthur C Clarke, Sir Bernard Lovell, P. Moore, Sir Crispin Tickell, M E Bailey, M Baillie, S V M Clube, S. Clucas, M. Genge, M. Grady, S. Green, P. Grego, J. Gribbin, N J Holloway, D. W. Hughes, I. Lyon, J A M McDonnell, M. Martin-Smith, R. Matthews, W M Napier, B J Peiser, P. Roche, J E Salt, D I Steel, J. Wall, I P Williams, J Zarnecki, W. Alvarez, D. Asher, D. Balam, P. Brown, G. Canavan, A. Carusi, T. Gehrels, E. F. Helin, D. Levy, A. Maury, S. Ostro, M. R. Rampino, H. Rickman, J. Schiff, C.J. Shoemaker, E.M. Shoemaker, G. L. Verschuur, S. P. Worden, D. K. Yeomans, without whose help and advice the preparation of this paper would not have been possible.
So basically, what I am getting from this is that it's a valid thing to think about, and the public should think about it. Films and popular media have helped. These scientists seem to think that debate about the topic in a public forum is good. Further, there is probably a technological solution like some spaceship or giant space laser frisbee or something at least in development, since that is the solution to the potential problem. Then there is a list of some brilliant Scientists and Astronomers and thinkers from around the planet who generally agree with the findings of this paper, including the conclusion. |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 185
United States
5/8/2006 2:25 AM | |
AAA
User ID: 90741
United States
5/8/2006 2:32 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
"For seven days and seven nights
Man will watch this awesome sight
The tides will rise beyond their ken
To bight away the shores and then
The mountains will begin to roar
And earthquakes split the plain to shore.
And flooding waters rushing in
Will flood the lands in such a din
That mankind cowers in muddy fen
And snarls about his fellow men.
He bares his teeth and fights and kills
And secrets food in secret hills
And ugly in his fear he lies
To kill marauders, thieves and spies.
Man flees in terror from the floods
And kills and rapes and lies in blood
And spilling blood by mankind's hands
Will stain and bitter many lands." |
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Virtualgirl
User ID: 29026
United States
5/8/2006 2:45 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
Interesting poem AAA. Did you write it? |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 90757
Australia
5/8/2006 2:46 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
I read somewhere but cannot remember where that one piece is expected to hit the Atlantic by also one is expected to hit in the Medeterrean Sea.
Can anyone show me a link to that type of info please?
Or to somewhere where they think these larger pieces will hit.
I do believe that the debrie will come through and start fires etc.
But I am looking for a hit in the Med Sea.
Thank you in advance. |
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AAA
User ID: 90741
United States
5/8/2006 2:51 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
<Interesting poem AAA. Did you write it?>I am not the author. It was written a long time ago. But yes, it's very interesting! Thanks for asking! |
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the others
User ID: 90764
Australia
5/8/2006 3:04 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
The poem is from the mother shipton prophecies |
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Anonymous Coward
User ID: 90629
 Germany
5/8/2006 3:37 AM | | Re: Comet debate goes on, time to watch the skies | Quote |
I HOPE THEY CORRECT BECAUSE IF NOTHING HAPPENS THEY WILL BE THE BIGGEST BUFFOONS AND FOOLS EVER. |
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Emperor Kenton
User ID: 87536
United States
5/8/2006 1:07 PM
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