[cogitator]

Does the proposed Department of Homeland Security have an Office of Asteroids?

[r9etb]

But many specialists are worried that little sustained effort is being made to spot smaller space wanderers, which could still unleash the energy of an arsenal of nuclear bombs if they collided with our home.

Translation: Here are a bunch of guys who are lobbying for a lucrative future in asteroid-spotting.

I'm not ignoring the possibility of asteroidal devastation, mind you. But having seen the specialist-driven hoo-raw about not one, but two Leonids meteor showers ("satellites will be destroyed!!!!"), I'm mighty cynical about guys like this.

[Semper Paratus]

Too bad it couldn't have exploede above Mecca.
Now that would be a sign from God!

[www.corvettewave.com]

guys, don't discount this too quickly. this could have been a very devastating event, and one that is sure to happen someday.
i have thought for a long time that a "natural" event such as this is bound to happen just when we least expect it. the scary part is that a good defense is not available. just hope you are not close when a rock this size hits the earth...

[tictoc]

Those Crustaceans are up to no good again. Pitching rocks through hyperspace at Buenos Aires.

Join the Space Corps, See the Universe as a Starship Trooper.

Come On, We've Got Bugs To Fry!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Now that's what I call a close one. Good thing the planet Earth didn't get that new paint job last month.

[Wm Bach]

If it "nearly missed", then it must have hit.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Does the proposed Department of Homeland Security have an Office of Asteroids?

No, but I'm sure they have an office full of hemorroids.

[Sir Gawain]

Where would it have hit?

[lavaroise]

I believe 36 000 km is geostationary orbit, the highest sattelite orbit, I believe (while CIA sattelites fly at about 50 to 100km). So that is about 3 geo orbits, pretty close indeed

[lds23]

I sometimes wonder if the apocalyptic predictions (what was it again, December 12 2012 or something) were based on ancient astronomical observations of returning comets. In our short history, we've got a bunch of them on the list.

With all the attention paid to astronomy (e.g., building the pyramids to align with the north star, the Mayan obervatory, Stonehenge, etc.), perhaps they were trying to leave a lasting message to "Hey, look out".

That all for now, I'm going shopping to stock up for the next asteroid:

[far sider]

Asteroid 2002 MN, estimated at up to 120 metres (yards) long, hurtled by the Earth at a distance of 120,000 kilometers (75,000 miles), well within the orbit of the Moon and just a hair's breadth in galactic terms.

Yeah, but in ant terms it's like a light year.

[denydenydeny]

Unless someone can manage to blame asteroids on fossil fuel consumption or some other cause which can be linked to America-hating, there will never be any international action on the subject.

[onedoug]

"...For where the Beginning is, there shall be the End." -Gospel of Thomas

[toddst]

Had it collided with the Earth, "the most likely thing is that it would have detonated in the atmosphere, creating a blast wave," he said.

Why do we always get this type of thing sensationalized? Why would a piece of rock "explode" as opposed to simply burning furiously until impact, at which point it would be much smaller? Just wondering.

[VRWC_minion]

What did Bush know and when did he know it ?

[Bobby777]

Does the proposed Department of Homeland Security have an Office of Asteroids?

Tom Ridge has proposed a bill which will create a committee which will create funding for research for an appropriate new color to add to the threat level ... should this color appear on the secret decoder mood ring to be distributed to every American, an "asteroid alert" of unspecific origin will be issued and all Americans will be asked to run in crazy circles until such mood ring color changes color. This has been a public service announcement from the Department of Home Security and Pretending the Enemy Isn't Obvious. We return you now to your regularly scheduled Celine Dion Song du Jour.

[razorback-bert]

Global Warming sucked it in.

What the h@ll is Word Wrap- on & off ?

[lewislynn]

Asteroid near-miss

Near miss?...What did it hit?

[tictoc]

An asteroid hunter in Duluth was brisk.
He said, "Honey, this should be a miss."
This calmed down his wife,
Who had feared for her life.
Said she, "If not, it'll be your *!"

[tictoc]

An asteroid spotter in Duluth was brisk.
He said, "Honey, this should be a miss."
This calmed down his wife,
Who had feared for her life.
Said she, "If not, it'll be your *!"