WE'RE SO DEAD!

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Dowly

If everything else fails to kill us, the Sun will be hot enough to finish the job in about 1 billion years.

Better make a not in my diary forget the sun block.

[mapuc]

Maybe we´re so dead
or maybe we´re not.
Now I'm going to bed
trying to sleep a lot

Markus

[STEED]

[Aktungbby]

<EVEN IF WE SEE IT WE HAVE NO MEANS TO STOP IT:

Originally Posted by W.S.J

In May, a group of international scientists assembled near Washington, D.C., to tackle an alarming problem: what to do about an asteroid hurtling toward Earth.
Astronomers at a mountaintop observatory in Hawaii had spotted an 800-foot-wide asteroid, dubbed 2019 PDC, when it was 35 million miles away. By asteroid standards, it was relatively small—not even close to the six-mile-wide piece of space rock believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Still, this asteroid was traveling at 31,000 miles an hour, and if it hit Earth, the impact could release the equivalent of 500 megatons of TNT—about 10 times more powerful than the largest nuclear weapon ever built.
Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory calculated that the big rock was headed toward Denver. Unless the asteroid could be deflected, two million people would have to be relocated, and the city would be obliterated.
All of this was hair-raising but, fortunately, not real: The scientists were participating in a highly dramatized but scientifically plausible “hypothetical asteroid impact scenario” at the International Academy of Astronautics’ sixth Planetary Defense Conference, held in College Park, Md.
The sky wasn’t falling this time, but the underlying questions are still urgent. Many scientists argue that the most effective way to deal with a threat from a small asteroid would be to send up an unmanned spacecraft armed with a nuclear explosive device (they hesitate to call it a bomb) to blow it up or nudge it off course. Nuking an incoming asteroid is also the preferred Hollywood method—it worked spectacularly well for Bruce Willis in the exciting but scientifically challenged 1998 film “Armageddon”—but the nuclear option faces serious hurdles in the real world. Sending nuclear weapons into space, even to save Denver, makes lots of people nervous and could violate international treaties governing the militarization of space.

Bruce Willis tries to save the Earth from an incoming asteroid in ‘Armageddon’ (1998). Photo: Touchstone Pictures/Everett Collection


So after some heated debate, the scientists assembled in Maryland decided to deploy a fleet of unmanned, nonnuclear “kinetic impactor” spacecraft against the incoming asteroid. Kinetic impactors are essentially cannonball technology: You pack a spacecraft with a payload of solid metal and then crash it head-on into the asteroid, in hopes not of destroying it but of reducing its speed by a tiny fraction. That way, by the time it reaches its predicted rendezvous point with Earth, our planet will have already moved on in its orbit, and the asteroid will fly harmlessly by.
At least in theory. In the Maryland scenario, NASA, the European Space Agency, Japan, Russia and China all launched hastily designed and untested kinetic impactor ships. Three of them smashed into the asteroid. The main body of the asteroid was deflected and would miss Earth. Denver was saved! Unfortunately, one of the kinetic impacts inadvertently broke off a 200-foot-wide chunk of the asteroid—and that hurtling fragment was now on track to hit New York City.
The only hope was to destroy the fragment with a nuclear device. But existing ground-launched, nuclear-armed ballistic missiles weren’t designed to take on an asteroid in space, and there simply wasn’t time to launch a nuclear-armed spacecraft to intercept the asteroid chunk. New York would just have to take the hit. Millions of people were evacuated, the asteroid exploded in a fireball over Central Park—and Manhattan was wiped off the map.
Mercifully, Manhattan is still very much with us. But the war game was a reminder that asteroid defense isn’t science fiction but a serious and necessary venture.
True, the chances of a civilization-destroying asteroid impact are exceedingly small, at least in the foreseeable future. Asteroid strikes that cause regional devastation and catastrophic global climate change occur, on average, only about once every 100,000 years or more. On the other end of the scale, Earth is routinely bombarded by small asteroids that almost always burn up or blow up high in the atmosphere, creating meteors or fireballs that are visually spectacular but pose little or no danger. In December 2018, for example, a 30-foot-wide asteroid exploded in the atmosphere over the Bering Sea with the explosive force of a dozen Hiroshima atomic bombs—but except for a few satellites and sensor systems, no one noticed.
The most immediate threat isn’t from the largest or smallest asteroids but from those in between. Over the past two decades, asteroid hunters with NASA and other international space agencies have identified and tracked the orbits of more than 20,000 asteroids—also known as near-Earth objects—that pass through our neighborhood as they orbit the sun. Of those, about 2,000 are classified as potentially hazardous—asteroids that are large enough (greater than 150 yards in diameter) to cause local destruction and that come close enough to Earth to someday pose a threat.
The good news is that scientists don’t expect any of these known asteroids to collide with Earth within at least the next century. Some will come pretty close, though: On an unlucky Friday the 13th in April 2029, the thousand-foot-wide asteroid Apophis will pass a mere 19,000 miles from Earth—closer than the satellites that bring us DISH TV.
But here’s the bad news: Hundreds of thousands of other near-Earth asteroids, both large and small, haven’t been identified. We have no idea where they are and where they are going. On Feb. 15, 2013, a relatively small, 60-foot-wide asteroid traveling at 43,000 mph exploded in the atmosphere near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, sending out a blast wave that injured 1,500 people. No one had seen the asteroid coming.
We need to find and track these unknown invaders as soon as possible. But while NASA’s “planetary defense” budget has been steadily increasing over the past decade, the $150 million allocated in 2019 for asteroid detection, asteroid tracking and related programs amounts to less than 1% of the space agency’s $21.5 billion budget.
Nor is it clear that we could deflect a small but dangerous asteroid heading our way even if we did spot it. No asteroid-deflection method has ever been tested in real-space conditions—and, as the conference’s war game demonstrated, using untested technology always entails a risk that the mission could go terribly wrong.
In 2021, NASA intends to launch its Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission to try the kinetic impactor deflection method against a nonthreatening asteroid called Didymos. More tests will be required before we can achieve even a modest planetary defense capability. (Because of legal and political objections, NASA has no plans to test nuclear-explosive asteroid-deflection methods in space.)
Over its 4.5 billion-year history, Earth has been hit millions of times by powerful asteroids, and it will inevitably be hit again—whether two centuries from now or next Tuesday. So it isn’t a question of whether humankind will have to confront the prospect of a destructive asteroid hurtling our way; it is only a question of when.

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER GOD IS A COMEDIAN; AND I'M NOT GETTING OUT ALIVE....WHY WAS I EVER HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE

[Kptlt. Neuerburg]

I guess it's time for this again...

[Mr Quatro]

Space junk hitting our International Space Station is more likely to happen in the near future than an unknow space rock hitting the earth, but it is certainly another item to worry about added to my growing concerns of what is safe to eat and drink.

Did you know that true north is moving at the rate of two feet a year and that it will take about five more years to reach the true north pole?

Now that's something to worry about.

[Catfish]

So the earth will kill us if we destroy the ecosystem, or the sun will kill the earth someday, or a meteorite.. which reminds me of August (and i quote):
"Not if we blow up the earth first!"

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

[...] Did you know that true north is moving at the rate of two feet a year and that it will take about five more years to reach the true north pole?
Now that's something to worry about.

True North moving, and then reach the true North? Which is the real true north?
Why should it bother? Last thing i heard was that the magnetic pole wanders off, if it now goes back to to the geographical north pole i can keep my compass

The earth is turning around its own axis alright while wobbling around the sun, which is why we have day and night. The earth's core consists mostly of heavy iron, between the core and the outer thin crust we walk on is a more or less hot fluid rock mush, they are not fixed together, permanently. Since the core is only dragged along with the outer earth's momentum (or vice versa, like in an automatic fluid transmission) it has another rotational speed, and the speed difference generates the magnetic field like in a dynamo.

Still, the axis the core turns around is more or less parallel to the outer earth's axis, so even when the core falls behind, the magnetic field will still be there. A bit less strong, or even reversed, but the solar winds will still be deflected.. mostly.


But we are doing enough to set free enough radiation on earth anyway
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20.../#.XSUAgUxuKHs (...around 2 billion becquerels a day...), Chernobyl, Sellafield, some russian subs at the bottom of the sea..
so just to quote August again ..

[Sean C]

The rotation of Earth is also slowing due to tidal friction from the Moon and other factors. Because of this, every so often a "leap second" has to be inserted into UTC to keep our clocks in sync with apparent time. Not all of the factors are currently understood, so there is no long term way to predict exactly when a leap second will need to be inserted.



However, there are occasionally long periods in which no leap second needs to be inserted (e.g. between 1999 and 2006). It appears we are currently in one of those periods. The last leap second was inserted on January 1st, 2017. According to IERS (International Earth Rotation and Reference System Service) Bulletin C Number 58 - issued July 4th, 2019 - there will be no leap second inserted for the rest of 2019.

[vienna]

Somehow, I think if the end of the world were to happen now, the last thing we would see would be multitudes of people with cell phones in hand taking selfies with the impact happening behind them...











<O>

[Aktungbby]

ON THE OTHERHAND....GOD BEING A COMEDIAN AND WE BEING EGO-CENTRIC: "WE ARE THE FINEST LIFESTYLE TO INHABIT EARTH MAMMALIANS" TYPES WHO HAVE ESSENTIALLY CRAPPED IN OUR OWN BEDS SO TO SPEAK, ARE NOT PROPERLY VIEWING THE SITUATION.... https://nypost.com/2017/05/15/dinosaurs-might-have-lived-if-asteroid-had-hit-minutes-later/

“With the dinosaurs gone, suddenly the landscape was empty of competitors and ripe with possibilities.
“Just half a million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs, and landscapes around the globe had filled with mammals of all shapes and sizes.
“Chances are, if it wasn’t for that asteroid, we wouldn’t be here to tell the story today.”

PERHAPS THE DEVINE FORUMMASTER HAS A NEW SPECIES IN MIND AND THE 'QUICK SCRUB' (#2?) IS THE SWIFTEST SOLUTION TO IT ALL...AND A NEW STORY WILL BE TOLD!

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

“Chances are, if it wasn’t for that asteroid, we wouldn’t be here to tell the story today.”

Or if, 'we' would be probably wearing some colourful makeup on our already colourful scales in TV shows.

[vienna]

<O>

[mapuc]

The world as we know it, have been gone since long time back.

We live in a Matrix world.

A few weeks ago in one of the episode of The Univers

They had a countdown on 10 ways the scientist believe our world or the univers world come to and end.

Here are some of them
(from my memory)

1. Weird quarks-Some of the smallest atom goes weird and everything turns into jelly.

2. Sudden stop-Earth suddenly stop spinning from one second the another.

3. When parallel world collide.

Markus

[Aktungbby]

About Aktungbby:
Biography Ak Tung Amun; Interests: Ma'at & Götterdämmerung

NEVER MIND NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION, CORONA VIRUS, GLOBAL WARMING OR BOLSHEVIST INTERFERENCE IN OUR ELECTIONS! http://news.mit.edu/2020/how-deflect-asteroid-mission-0219

On April 13, 2029, an icy chunk of space rock, wider than the Eiffel Tower is tall, will streak by Earth at 30 kilometers per second, grazing the planet’s sphere of geostationary satellites. It will be the closest approach by one of the largest asteroids crossing Earth’s orbit in the next decade.
Observations of the asteroid, known as 99942 Apophis,

 

and was the very embodiment of the powers of dissolution, darkness and non-being. Hence, he was a sort of void or "black hole" forcing those he swallowed into that non-existence which the Egyptians feared so greatly. Being completely outside of the natural world, he was believed to require no nourishment other than to "breathe" his own shouts. He was a huge serpent who was thought to have existed at the beginning of time in the waters of primeval chaos prior to creation and his power was so great that it was thought that he would continue to exist in an endlessly malevolent cycle of attack, defeat and resurgent attack. He is thus known by many epithets, ranging from evil lizard, opponent and enemy to world encircler and serpent of rebirth. During the Roman period, he was interpreted as "he who was spat out" ...SO NOW WE KNOW WHAT WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE TREE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN TALKIN' TO EVE- THE ENEMY OF MA'AT!

was once suggested that its 2029 flyby would take it through a gravitational keyhole — a location in Earth’s gravity field that would tug the asteroid’s trajectory such that on its next flyby, in the year 2036, it would likely make a devastating impact.
Thankfully, more recent observations have confirmed that the asteroid will sling by Earth without incident in both 2029 and 2036. Nevertheless, most scientists believe it is never too early to consider strategies for deflecting an asteroid if one were ever on a crash course with our home planet.

JEEZE.... I'LL BE 105 AND 'GOOD TO GO' ANYWAY! BUT IF STILL AROUND DUE TO MODERN SCIENCE I'LL BE READY WITH MY PAINTBALL GUN! THE PERFECTLY EXPENDIBLE VOLUNTEER! http://news.mit.edu/2012/deflecting-an-asteroid-with-paintballs-1026

In his proposal, Paek used the asteroid Apophis as a theoretical test case. According to astronomical observations, this 27-gigaton rock may come close to Earth in 2029, and then again in 2036. Paek determined that five tons of paint would be required to cover the massive asteroid, which has a diameter of 1,480 feet. He used the asteroid’s period of rotation to determine the timing of pellets, launching a first round to cover the front of the asteroid, and firing a second round once the asteroid’s backside is exposed. As the pellets hit the asteroid’s surface, they would burst apart, splattering the space rock with a fine, five-micrometer-layer of paint.
From his calculations, Paek estimates that it would take up to 20 years for the cumulative effect of solar radiation pressure to successfully pull the asteroid off its Earthbound trajectory. He says launching pellets with traditional rockets may not be an ideal option, as the violent takeoff may rupture the payload. Instead, he envisions paintballs may be made in space, in ports such as the International Space Station, where a spacecraft could then pick up a couple of rounds of pellets to deliver to the asteroid.

[August]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Should I cancel my son-in-laws surprise birthday party tonight then?

Perhaps you should all lie down on the floor and put paper bags on your heads or something. Probably won't help, but it certainly can't hurt.