Asteroids, 1980-Present

[Dark_Chrysalis]

Stunning, and a bit sobering too...

http://www.arm.ac.uk/neos/1980-2010/files/videoplayback.mp4

http://www.arm.ac.uk/neos/1980-2010 (if you cant get the above to load)

Red = Asteroids that cross paths with Earth's orbit
Yellow = Asteroids that should step off a bit
Green = Asteroids we're cool with being there

[ghost-]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

dude holy sh*t why are there so many all of a sudden? D: it was all chill then sh*t really hit the fan and all of a sudden asteroids hate us ;___;

[Dark_Chrysalis]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

They've always been there... we're simply discovering more and more each year. And by the looks of that animation, it's not slowing down anytime soon.

Also, link to source page added for those who can't get the mp4 to load for some reason (the mp4 is much better quality though).

[xealix]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

It definitely is not going to be slowing down. What is happening is that as they collide the break into smaller and smaller pieces. Also you bring more big ones into the picture and this continues to happen. At any rate most of these are harmless. Yay for space and how it can scare the crap out of people

[fido123]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

I'd like to know how many of those would be able to seriously **** up earth.

[freekilltwo]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

thats insane, i blinked and then it scared the crap outa me how many there were, i could see somethin like that actually managing to cause wide spread panic in todays society

[xealix]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

It really shouldn't though. They have always been there. Almost all of those are too small to cause us any harm. The ones you need to worry about you will hear about. Of course anything like this would freak people out. You just need to take the time to look this sort of stuff up and inform yourself. It really is more interesting then scary when you know more about it.

[Crashfan3]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

I honestly thought this was about the arcade game. xD

Seriously though, 500k+ asteroids there? How do we get spacecraft past all that crap?

[flashpantss]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

Seriously though, 500k+ asteroids there? How do we get spacecraft past all that crap?

This

[Reincarnate]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

To those wondering about asteroids that will hit the earth:

Neil DeGrasse Tyson - Death By Giant Meteor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaW4Ol3_M1o

Those who are too lazy to watch:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis

[Reincarnate]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

I honestly thought this was about the arcade game. xD

Seriously though, 500k+ asteroids there? How do we get spacecraft past all that crap?

Space is so incredibly vast -- it only looks crowded if you compress it all to a 2D picture with relatively large dots representing a given asteroid.

[xealix]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

Apophis is the only one in the near future that poses any threat. By the time it rolls around we'll have a way to reduce the threat. It is already being studied.

[Reincarnate]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_event#Major_extinction_events

[Reincarnate]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

Apophis is the only one in the near future that poses any threat. By the time it rolls around we'll have a way to reduce the threat. It is already being studied.

The probability of it entering the keyhole is really, really low now. Even if it did, they already know how to deflect it via gravitational tethering.

[xealix]

Re: Asteroids, 1980-Present

I thought that was just one theory, but im not complaining if they can make it work. Either way mass extinction by asteroid seems to slim a chance to happen. Its not much fun either. I'd rather go by super massive black hole. xD