Some asteroid may collide with Earth in September 2004!

[SpiritCrusherX]

Frankly, this has me very worried. I read in the new Maxim that there is a 63.8% chance that an asteroid (apparently named Toutatis) will collide with Earth in September of 2004, and its effects would be astronomical. Now, I know Maxim is not an authority on astronomy, and they presented it somewhat humorously, but it still has me worried. This is a fear that I've had for many years, that in my lifetime some celestial body would collide with our planet, killing a large percentage of the population. The after effects would not be pleasant either.

Somewhere I read that the study that concluded this was incorrect. I hope this is true. I also would've thought that if this were a major concern, it would be all over the news and people would be in much more of a panic (and Maxim wouldn't have presented it in the humorous fashion that they did). So, I hope this is nothing to worry about, but if anyone knows anything, please post here.

 

[manuelgv]

Well the fear of an asteroid crashing against earth has been around for a while.
I hope this is just another one of those rumours

 

[Hitori]

im going to be studying overseas then
better have a warm farewell...

 

[[0hr]Sunlapse]

i hope it hits

 

[Destroyer Of Orden]

I wouldn't worry too much... this was supposed to happen every year for the last.... many man years... we'll all be alive in September

 

[mourningstar]

the impact with asteroids can be predicted with plenty of advance, and to change those rocks' orbit is usually not as epic as they show in the movie armageddon. if something will hit the earth without no one lifting a finger, it will probably be something really small, and if you're so unlucky to be the only living thing to be hit, well, that's just bad luck and goodbye.

 

[SpiritCrusherX]

I wouldn't worry too much... this was supposed to happen every year for the last.... many man years... we'll all be alive in September

Yeah I hope so man. It doesn't seem like people are making a big deal out of it so there's probably nothing to worry about...but when you hear that it's based on a scientific study and all this 63.8% chance of a collision shit it tends to change your opinion and invoke fear. But I'm gonna try not to think about it, even though it may be difficult.

 

[SpiritCrusherX]

the impact with asteroids can be predicted with plenty of advance, and to change those rocks' orbit is usually not as epic as they show in the movie armageddon. if something will hit the earth without no one lifting a finger, it will probably be something really small, and if you're so unlucky to be the only living thing to be hit, well, that's just bad luck and goodbye.

Yeah I think I also read somewhere that it's possible to change the orbit. So maybe we should just not worry about it. But I'm a bit of a worrier, what can I say. I'll probably get over it though.

 

[rahvin]

i think it's statistically much more likely that you'll be hit by an anvil thrown from a window, a rain of catfishes, a texas farm lifted and then dropped by a tornado, profanity on a day when he forgot to take his medication, and a number of other objects i can't really remember, mostly because i just made these statistics up.

 

[SpiritCrusherX]

You guys sure know how to put a humorous spin on impending disaster!

 

[rahvin]

You guys sure know how to put a humorous spin on impending disaster!

and yet you're the one talking about spin when some asteroid is maybe going to collide with our planet.

 

[mourningstar]

@spirit crusher: the ways to change an asteroid's orbit are more than a couple; one is particularly fascinating - or so i thought when i first read about it - and consists in sort of painting part of the asteroid's surface with something light coloured, thus it would reflect more radiation and that's enough to change its orbit.
i'm positive this will be enough to make you sleep happily hugging your pillow for the years to come

 

[SpiritCrusherX]

and yet you're the one talking about spin when some asteroid is maybe going to collide with our planet.

Haha very tr00. I think we'll be OK though.

 

[SpiritCrusherX]

@spirit crusher: the ways to change an asteroid's orbit are more than a couple; one is particularly fascinating - or so i thought when i first read about it - and consists in sort of painting part of the asteroid's surface with something light coloured, thus it would reflect more radiation and that's enough to change its orbit.
i'm positive this will be enough to make you sleep happily hugging your pillow for the years to come

Dude that seriously makes me feel a lot better, thank you. That last line REALLY convinced me, lol. I mean, when I saw the damn thing in MAXIM, of all places, I didn't take it TOO seriously, but I didn't rule it out completely because it was based on studies and shit. But thank you.

 

[rahvin]

@spirit crusher: the ways to change an asteroid's orbit are more than a couple; one is particularly fascinating - or so i thought when i first read about it - and consists in sort of painting part of the asteroid's surface with something light coloured, thus it would reflect more radiation and that's enough to change its orbit.
i'm positive this will be enough to make you sleep happily hugging your pillow for the years to come

the idea of astronauts-painters decorating rocks in outer space is already making me feel all cozy and reassured. my life is in no danger as long as tanks of yellow paint orbit lazily around the earth!

 

[mourningstar]

my life is in no danger as long as tanks of yellow paint orbit lazily around the earth!

tanks that might hit the earth.

 

[rahvin]

tanks that might hit the earth.

should we send tanks of white paint to paint the tanks of yellow paint white then?

(god that was confusing...)

 

[mourningstar]

that wasn't confusing in the least.
i'd say that to safely put the empty tanks in some litter bags that'd freely float aloft would be absolutely brilliant.

 

[rahvin]

i don't have anything at all to add to mourningstar's accurate plan for disposing of threatening space garbage, but there's no other short thread on the first page that doesn't deal with porn or games or porn games. can somebody start one please so the three of us can finally stop discussing space decoration for the night?

 

[TB666]

I hope it hits.