26 replies to this topic

[qualia]

This NASA image shows an artist's impression of an asteroid belt in orbit around a star. A massive asteroid will make a rare fly-by Tuesday, and although it poses no danger of crashing to Earth, US scientists said this week they are looking forward to getting a closer look.

A massive asteroid will make a rare fly-by Tuesday, and although it poses no danger of crashing to Earth, US scientists said this week they are looking forward to getting a closer look.

"This is not a potentially hazardous asteroid, just a good opportunity to study one," said National Science Foundation astronomer Thomas Statler.

The circular asteroid, named 2005 YU55, is about 1,300 feet (400 meters) wide and will come closer than the Moon, zipping by at a distance of 202,000 miles (325,000 kilometers), the US space agency said.

The time of the nearest flyby is expected to be at 2328 GMT (6:28 Eastern time in the US).

The encounter will be the closest by an asteroid of that size in more than 30 years, and a similar event will not happen again until 2028.
Astronomers who have studied the object, part of the C-class of asteroids, say it is very dark, like the color of carbon, and quite porous.

It was first discovered in 2005 by Robert McMillan of the Spacewatch Project, a solar-system-scanning group of scientists near Tucson, Arizona.

While 2005 YU55 will stay a safe distance away, it is part of a crew of 1,262 big asteroids circling the Sun and measuring more than 500 feet (150 meters) across that NASA classifies as "potentially hazardous."

"We want to study these asteroids so if one does look like it may hit us someday, we'll know what to do about it," Statler said.
The asteroid's closest pass is set to take place in 2094, at a distance of 167,000 miles (269,000 kilometers), according to forecasts.

"The observations will give us a piece of the puzzle, one we don't get many chances to see," said Don Yeomans of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

"At one time, we thought these were the asteroids that delivered carbon and other elements to the early Earth, so they are pretty important."

NASA said the last time a space rock this big approached Earth was in 1976, "although astronomers did not know about the flyby at the time."

© 2011 AFP

http://www.physorg.c...by-tuesday.html

maybe i should get a pair of binoculars just for it. hope it's a clear night here (will be about 9:00 pm)

[mckennaisgod]

this asteroid is getting alot of attention on youtube right now, and internet radio stations. Some claim it may hit the moon!

Edited by mckennaisgod, 05 November 2011 - 03:10 PM.

[qualia]

hmm....i've seen the projected flight paths, i s'pose the worry might be earths gravity puling it in closer to the moon, but i still don't think it'll hit it. still, i wonder what the result would be if the moon got knocked out of earths orbit? pretty fucked up i guess a lot of earths creatures have developed a need for the moon in one way or another.

[Sheather]

All of the tidal activity of earth would be ruined. Many of our sea creatures would die out I would think, over the coming years, and chain reactions would spread to water birds etc. Anything that relies on beaches. But do you think that, on the off chance it did hit the moon, that it would be able to knock it out of orbit? It may change the orbit, but I don't think it would remove the moon entirely. (Also really, really dark nights)

Anyway, the forecasts are likely correct. There isn't much out there to change the asteriod's trajectory.

[mckennaisgod]

they say that it would create a meteor shower on earth if the YU55 did hit the moon, but only time will tell. Alot of fear mongering going on at the moment to coincide with the occupy protests

[Distracted]

[Rabaelthazar]

Diameter of moon is 3475 kilometers.
Diameter of YU55, according to the article, is 400 meters.

Even if it did hit the moon I can't imagine it having any disastrous consequences.

[santiago]

it pays to be aware that this year and into next there will be more fearmongering than ever in advance of the mayan 2012. alot of people put their credibility at stake with doomsday prophesies. so the hypermania will accelerate to full fever next year. every little quiver in life will be micro-examined WILL THIS BE IT

this is my prophesy

please note it in the journal of the universe.

i will post again in this thread on the date 22/12/2012..........this will be post mayan doomsday 21/12/2112. this will once and for all disprove the mayan theory.

[mckennaisgod]

It's funny how you say the means, when the mayan calendar has already ended. The real end date on the calendar is the 28th of october 2011. So we got through that alright

[mckennaisgod]

I would also like to point out that I wouldn't trust a lot of what NASA says about diameter and weight of objects they are tracking.

[mckennaisgod]

you might be interested in this video

Edited by mckennaisgod, 06 November 2011 - 09:38 AM.

[mckennaisgod]

2005 YU55 in the american news.

[OPP]

I know someone who has started storing petrol in his house and is stockpiling rice and food to bury in the bush for the collapse of civilisation!!

[qualia]

AAAAGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!

[mckennaisgod]

2005 YU55 on Sunday Night



this was played last night.

[woof woof woof]

damn mayan calander, (aztec is more accurate I belief)

speaking of coincidences (referring to Auxins alcohol topic) ,.... I had one of those Aztec calenders and I gave it away to an Austrian chick ( which is a whole coincidence story on itself - you wont believe me if I told you,.. prolly think i make tis shit up or something.)
But today my GF had me hang up another one of those calenders like that she picked up at a garage sale.

I think that 2012 will be an interesting year. There is too much talk about it already. that means there is too much attention on that moment in time,... meaning there is allot energy projected on that date.

my prophecy is that there will be allot big changes in the world. Ebb and flow. Perhaps regional power shifts. Economical / military / more natural disasters that make more people aware of issues like global warming. paradigm shift more noticeable on world scale.
I think the changes should and perhaps therefore will be more obvious then most people think.

We'll see where the accent lays in 2012.

Santiago,... hope to see your post on 22nd Dec 2012

[mckennaisgod]

There alot more coincidences around than you would think, you should check out people folding the american old and new $10 and $50 notes. Some strange stuff there my friend, youtube would be your best bet for that. If you can see past some dude talking about religion for half the time while showing you his findings will astound you. His channel is TheJonathankleck

[qualia]

48 hours to go people, hope you enjoying your last moments on earth.

[Kee]

I'm going to put money on nothing happening with regards to YU55, anyone wanna bet with me ;)? Apopheus sounds... Interesting.

Edited by Kee, 07 November 2011 - 01:54 PM.

[ThunderIdeal]

AAAAGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!

baaaaaaaahahahaha!

[qualia]

nothing........ ...... i want my money back.
i was really hoping to witness a comet (or an asteroid) hit earth in my lifetime.

Edited by qualia, 09 November 2011 - 10:38 AM.

[Sheather]

You've still got time... I don't think it was ever said that the asteroid was predicted to enter our atmosphere, so you'd not be likely to see anything without the right equipment.

[mckennaisgod]

West and east coast of America have the front row seats, we won't be able to see it

[qualia]

well, dudecakes from the utube said the US was preparing for mass deaths, so much so that they had plastic, mass produced coffins taking whole farms ready for the dead.

here i am, almost 12 hours later, and nothings happened.
are you to say that the random conspiracy theory utube vid was not correct?

unthinkable!

unless, ...,

Edited by qualia, 09 November 2011 - 07:35 PM.

[qualia]

I'm dead!?!?!?

well, if this is heaven, baby I don't wanna know hell