How does one get rid of a 45km wide meteor?

Chemistry4me · « **on:** 23/04/2009 10:34:04 »

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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dentstudent · « **Reply #1 on:** 23/04/2009 10:39:18 »

A 46 km wide tennis racket

Chemistry4me · « **Reply #2 on:** 23/04/2009 10:41:16 »

Oh jeez, why did I have a feeling this was going to happen?!!? [

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Please people, can we at least have a think? [

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dentstudent · « **Reply #3 on:** 23/04/2009 10:43:49 »

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.

dentstudent · « **Reply #4 on:** 23/04/2009 10:45:59 »

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.

Don_1 · « **Reply #5 on:** 23/04/2009 10:46:24 »

Put it in an NY Yellow Taxi.

dentstudent · « **Reply #6 on:** 23/04/2009 10:47:09 »

Put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day.

Chemistry4me · « **Reply #7 on:** 23/04/2009 10:48:27 »

Okay, what if it was 10 km?

dentstudent · « **Reply #8 on:** 23/04/2009 10:57:42 »

Here 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!

Chemistry4me · « **Reply #9 on:** 23/04/2009 11:02:02 »

Interesting, quite a little neat program. Thanks. [

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So you don't think we'll be able to alter the trajectory of a 10km meteor?

dentstudent · « **Reply #10 on:** 23/04/2009 11:08:37 »

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.

Chemistry4me · « **Reply #11 on:** 23/04/2009 11:10:49 »

How about detonating many missles before the moment of impact with the meteor? Will that be strong enough you think?

dentstudent · « **Reply #12 on:** 23/04/2009 11:12:28 »

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.

Chemistry4me · « **Reply #13 on:** 23/04/2009 11:26:25 »

Alright, thank you for your imput. [

] I think this thread is now dead and buried.

Don_1 · « **Reply #14 on:** 23/04/2009 11:29:30 »

Quote from: Chemistry4me on 23/04/2009 11:26:25

Alright, thank you for your imput. [] I think this thread is now dead and buried.

Apart from a quick FOG!

Chemistry4me · « **Reply #15 on:** 23/04/2009 11:41:49 »

Blast! FOGGED twice in two hours! NOOOoooo! What is happening to me?!!?

Vern · « **Reply #16 on:** 23/04/2009 16:10:12 »

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.

Don_1 · « **Reply #17 on:** 23/04/2009 16:36:41 »

Quote from: Vern on 23/04/2009 16:10:12

We probably couldn't even agree about what to do within that time.

Too true. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lk_AMtsZso Ah! Now that's what I call music!

yor_on · « **Reply #18 on:** 24/04/2009 21:22:38 »

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

Ethos · « **Reply #19 on:** 25/04/2009 01:12:44 »

Quote from: Vern on 23/04/2009 16:10:12

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?

How does one get rid of a 45km wide meteor?

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