Asteroid 2005 YU55 to narrowly miss Earth Tuesday

[johnmiic]

Based on the animation provided it looks like the Moon is lucky to miss the impact this time. Doomsday impact scenarios aside, if we had a responsive Space Program we could put a GPS on the thing and track it better at the very least. Maybe send a probe to take samples or if we were really planning ahead robots to mine it and reduce its mass to a harmless cloud of pebbles which could burn up on re-entry. All ideas on the drawing board at one time or another but none have gone forward.

Asteroid 2005 YU55 To Narrowly Miss Earth (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

[Mikey]

How does an asteroid come closer to the Earth than the Moon but not get caught by Earths gravity ?

You'd think if it came that close Earth would grab it.

[johnmiic]

I can only guess it depends on how fast it's moving. Slow gets captured, fast has escape velocity? Also it's trailing the Moon. Could the Moon be exerting any influence on it and pulling it away?

[LonnieFisher]

Supposed to be above the east coast right now at 6:28 eastern time!

[Hector]

The primary result of such a collision from a 1,300 feet (400 meters) wide asteroid would be a 4000 megaton blast, researchers say. Secondary results may include earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0 or upwards, as well as 70-foot (21-meter) tsunamis, if the space rock were to crash in the ocean.

An asteroid the size of Mt. Everest on the other hand...well...get ready for roaches to rule the planet...lol.

[Brazoo]

Great - first time something cool is going on since I got the NASA Asteroid Watch widget a year ago and now it's not working.

[megojim]

can't we just use one of the bases to shoot it down? . . . . . oh wait, . . . that was Missle Command . . . .

[Brazoo]

We do need to develop an asteroid response - asteroids are the only major natural disasters we can really do something about.

[Hector]

Not talking about this little one...but in case one the size of a mountain comes at us...how in the heck can we stop it...we just don't have the technology.

If we hit it with multiple nuclear missiles...the pieces (and that's if we manage to somehow brake it apart in the first place) would still keep on coming...that would be just as bad...lol.

[Brazoo]

Sorry - I meant theoretically. We have no theoretical way of preventing other kinds of natural disasters.

[Brazoo]

Anyway - this will happen again, and eventually we will be hit by something of this size.

Then what are all the people complaining about the space program expenses going to say?

[Hector]

Anyway - this will happen again, and eventually we will be hit by something of this size.

Then what are all the people complaining about the space program expenses going to say?

They are going to say..."our bad"...

[Brazoo]

One idea I've read about is landing a probe onto an asteroid with a rocket. If you detect an asteroid early enough, all you need to do is just push it a little - if it's far enough off even a little push could change it's course enough to miss the Earth.

[Brazoo]

They are going to say..."our bad"...

[Hector]

One idea I've read about is landing a probe onto an asteroid with a rocket. If you detect an asteroid early enough, all you need to do is just push it a little - if it's far enough off even a little push could change it's course enough to miss the Earth.

...and that's the best approach...try to steer it off course...not try to blast it...