Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Chemistry4me on 23/04/2009 10:34:04
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If a meteor say 45km wide had just entered the Earth's atmosphere, obviously it'll get smaller the closer it gets, is there anyway that you can 'get rid' of it safely? Say you had access to everything on this planet, how does one get rid of this meteor? I am looking forward to getting a few good ideas! [:)]
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A 46 km wide tennis racket
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Oh jeez, why did I have a feeling this was going to happen?!!? [:D]
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Please people, can we at least have a think? [:)]
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If a 45km wide meteor has entered the atmosphere, it is WAAAAAAAAAAY too late! It would need to have been spotted months in advance to have any time in which to alter the orbit.
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I think that it would be safe to say that a meteor of that size would wipe out virtually all life on earth in the short term, and possibly all of it in the long.
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Put it in an NY Yellow Taxi.
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Put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day.
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Okay, what if it was 10 km?
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Here (http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/impacteffects/) is a program in which you can enter values of size, density, speed etc of the meteor, as well as the distance away from which various effect would be felt.
Let us know some results!
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Interesting, quite a little neat program. Thanks. [:)]
So you don't think we'll be able to alter the trajectory of a 10km meteor?
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I think that it depends on the lead-time. If it is found early enough, there are mechanisms by which its trajectory can be altered, such as placing an object next to it which will alter its gravitational relationship with the earth. Trying to blow it up is not an option.
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How about detonating many missles before the moment of impact with the meteor? Will that be strong enough you think?
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Even if it was, all you've got then are several smaller meteors which will cause just as much damage. And missiles aren't space-worthy.
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Alright, thank you for your imput. [:)] I think this thread is now dead and buried.
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Alright, thank you for your imput. [:)] I think this thread is now dead and buried.
Apart from a quick FOG!
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Blast! FOGGED twice in two hours! NOOOoooo! What is happening to me?!!?
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The discovery channel had a special on this. It seems that at the speeds of most cosmic debris, rock like objects tend to explode in the atmosphere. Even a 1 km object would wipe out a city, and much of the countryside around it. If spotted less than a year before impact, there's not much we could do about it. We probably couldn't even agree about what to do within that time.
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We probably couldn't even agree about what to do within that time.
Too true. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lk_AMtsZso (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lk_AMtsZso) Ah! Now that's what I call music!
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How about this, maybe it consists of frozen methane (gas, ah, asteroid?).
Then we just put a match to it and voila.
The worlds biggest fart is a fact :)
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If spotted less than a year before impact, there's not much we could do about it. We probably couldn't even agree about what to do within that time.
There is a great deal of wisdom being expressed in that last sentence Vern. Sadly, we humans have not learned how to work together for our own bennefit, have we?
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How about this, maybe it consists of frozen methane (gas, ah, asteroid?).
Then we just put a match to it and voila.
The worlds biggest fart is a fact :)
That would leave some scorch marks on the haemorrhoid's asteroids undies!!!
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Sadly, we humans have not learned how to work together for our own bennefit, have we?
Yes; it is very sad. It has the potential to destroy the United States as a superpower.
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There was an interview with Rusty Schweickart on the Skeptics Guide to the Universe episode 199 where they discuss this issue. It is well worth a listen, as it clarifies many points about sizes and numbers of meteors that may be on an orbit that intersects the earth's.
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/archive/podcast.aspx
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Thanks, I'll make sure that I listen to it when I have the time.
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Mr Chem.
Someone seems pi*ed off with us.
http://transientsky.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/hubble-observers-the-impact-on-jupiter/
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"is there anyway that you can 'get rid' of it safely? "
Ebay