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A monstrously large, 'potentially hazardous' asteroid will zip through Earth's orbit on Halloween
Live Science ^ | Ben Turner

Posted on 10/28/2022 9:21:26 AM PDT by BenLurkin

A newly discovered, "potentially hazardous" asteroid almost the size of the world's tallest skyscraper is set to tumble past Earth just in time for Halloween, according to NASA.

The asteroid, called 2022 RM4, has an estimated diameter of between 1,083 and 2,428 feet (330 and 740 meters) — just under the height of Dubai's 2,716-foot-tall (828 m) Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. It will zoom past our planet at around 52,500 mph (84,500 km/h), or roughly 68 times the speed of sound.

At its closest approach on Nov. 1, the asteroid will come within about 1.43 million miles (2.3 million kilometers) of Earth, around six times the average distance between Earth and the moon. By cosmic standards, this is a very slender margin.

If astronomers were to ever spy a dangerous asteroid headed our way, space agencies around the world are already working on possible ways to deflect it. On Sept. 26, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft redirected the non-hazardous asteroid Dimorphos by ramming it off course, altering the asteroid's orbit by 32 minutes in the first test of Earth's planetary defense system.

China has also suggested it is in the early planning stages of an asteroid-redirect mission. By slamming 23 Long March 5 rockets into the asteroid Bennu, which is set to swing within 4.6 million miles (7.4 million km) of Earth's orbit between the years 2175 and 2199, the country hopes to divert the space rock from a potentially catastrophic impact with our planet.

(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: 2022rm4; asteroid; asteroids; astronomy; catastrophism; comet; comets; meteor; meteors; science
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1 posted on 10/28/2022 9:21:26 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

Earth’s orbit is really really big ,LOL


2 posted on 10/28/2022 9:25:21 AM PDT by butlerweave
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To: BenLurkin

Just love the Chicken Little posts... NOT!


3 posted on 10/28/2022 9:27:11 AM PDT by fwdude (Society has been fully polarized now, and you have to decide on which pole you want to be found.)
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To: BenLurkin

If that asteroid hits Earth and messes up my Halloween, I am going to be super-pissed off. Given the senile Sleepy Joe puppet Manchurian Candidate handlers’ disastrous “Administration” these past two years, I’m especially looking forward to partying on Halloween this year.


4 posted on 10/28/2022 9:28:12 AM PDT by gw-ington (My Preferred Pronouns: senile, sleepy, puppet, laughing, hyena, stolen, election.)
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To: BenLurkin

Giant Asteroid 2022 - Just End It Already


5 posted on 10/28/2022 9:28:20 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: BenLurkin

It’s really not “monstrously large” as far as asteroids go, but makes for good scare fare.


6 posted on 10/28/2022 9:28:24 AM PDT by fwdude (Society has been fully polarized now, and you have to decide on which pole you want to be found.)
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To: BenLurkin

7 posted on 10/28/2022 9:28:32 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: BenLurkin

Lets give it Paul Pelosi’s address


8 posted on 10/28/2022 9:29:03 AM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom Hi Dad)
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To: BenLurkin

Trick or treat!


9 posted on 10/28/2022 9:29:28 AM PDT by mewzilla (We need to repeal RCV wherever it's in use and go back to dumb voting machines.)
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To: al baby

Is it too late to sprinkle the asteroid nip around DC...?


10 posted on 10/28/2022 9:30:19 AM PDT by mewzilla (We need to repeal RCV wherever it's in use and go back to dumb voting machines.)
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To: mewzilla

“All I got was a rock.”


11 posted on 10/28/2022 9:31:03 AM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: BenLurkin

LiveScience’s use of the scare-quoted “potentially hazardous” is unwarranted and ridiculous for an asteroid that will only come within about 1.43 million miles of Earth, around six times the average distance between Earth and the moon.

LiveScience’s excuse (”By cosmic standards, this is a very slender margin.”) is no different than saying that the Black Hole in the center of our galaxy is “potentially hazardous,” because by cosmic standards it is very close to the Earth, compared to the distance of most of the objects in the cosmos.


12 posted on 10/28/2022 9:33:00 AM PDT by Carl Vehse (A proud member of the LGBFJB community)
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To: BenLurkin

its ok. even if it hits the earth, my Halloween snickers are in the freezer. they should last a few weeks of an asteroid winter. then its on to my 3 lbs. of beef jerky..


13 posted on 10/28/2022 9:33:34 AM PDT by Ikeon (My fellow americans would put you in shackles if it meant they could not be bothered for one day. )
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To: BenLurkin

Will miss us by 1.43 millions give or take 1.43 million miles?


14 posted on 10/28/2022 9:34:09 AM PDT by antidemoncrat
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To: BenLurkin

Signs in the heavens...trick or treat.


15 posted on 10/28/2022 9:34:45 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper
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To: dfwgator

Kind of like those movies “Deep Impact” or “Armageddon”.


16 posted on 10/28/2022 9:36:23 AM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as. )
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To: No name given

It’s a Vogon Spaceship!

“There’s no point in acting surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for 50 of your Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint and it’s far too late to start making a fuss about it now. … What do you mean you’ve never been to Alpha Centauri? Oh, for heaven’s sake, mankind, it’s only four light years away, you know. I’m sorry, but if you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that’s your own lookout. Energize the demolition beams.”


17 posted on 10/28/2022 9:37:00 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: BenLurkin

“potentially hazardous”
Tell me if I understand this correctly, IF the earth changes it’s orbit or IF the asteroid changes it’s orbit or path or whatever, there is a several quadrillion to one odds that they will collide.


18 posted on 10/28/2022 9:38:18 AM PDT by Tupelo (Don't under estimate the Republicans ability to f*** things up)
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To: BenLurkin; 75thOVI; Abathar; agrace; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AnalogReigns; AndrewC; ...
Don't worry, we'll be protected by the precogs.



19 posted on 10/28/2022 9:39:19 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: BenLurkin
7c4e5ac1-79a0-47c8-a48c-ddcd5a303492_text
20 posted on 10/28/2022 9:39:24 AM PDT by scott7278 (Those who beat their swords into plowshares usually end up plowing for those who kept their swords.)
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