Comments on: Asteroid close encounter tomorrow night!

By: Robert Cruickshank

Robert Cruickshank — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:41:00 +0000

It’s going to be cloudy here, but I will sit inside with my Astroscan and pretend, also.

By: Guest

Guest — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:34:00 +0000

And of course, the US can be trusted not to turn those sorts of things around 180 degrees? (or anyone, or any group for that matter).

By: Cloudface

Cloudface — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Get ready for an air-kiss, Earth!

By: Robert Little

Robert Little — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:08:00 +0000

Given the nature of the problem, I want anybody to have the lead, not just the US alone. This needs to be taken a bit more seriously. Remember, mass extinction is for everybody.
(Liking you for bringing it up!)

By: Incipient Madness

Incipient Madness — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:26:00 +0000

Srsly, Give me a like if you agree that the US should take the lead in planetary asteroid defense.

I wrote letters to both McCain and Obama about this in 2008 and at least got a form letter back form Obama

We need to watch those asteroids and build a couple of plasma or ion powered interceptors in low Earth orbit. And we need to start now!

By: Robert Little

Robert Little — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:03:00 +0000

I’ve been trying to get the elements for this particular asteroid, with some amusing results. The first set put the asteroid on the opposite side of the Sun in a Hohmann like orbit between Earth and Mars (Rama anybody?). The next… well, cue Aerosmith. Probably my own software. Since I’ve had some problems doing so, I decided to see if anyone else managed to put up a nice track. While I’m still looking to see where I went wrong, here’s a nice plot setup by a fellow up in Duluth…
http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2011/11/02/users-guide-to-monday-nights-asteroid-flyby/
Keep in mind that the asteroid is going to be close, so be sure to count on parallax.
If you actually plan on trying to find it.
And good luck at that…

By: Felton / Moderator

Felton / Moderator — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:44:00 +0000

By my calculations, it came from somewhere in the vicinity of Klendathu.

By: Shibi_SF

Shibi_SF — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:57:00 +0000

I guess this means that I won’t be able to see the asteroid with my Astroscan? Usually we have too much low fog to see anything in the sky, but last night was so super clear. I may have to just sit outside with the Astroscan and pretend that I can actually see YU55.

By: nosehat

nosehat — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:34:00 +0000

Either Boing Boing or my browser had a momentary glitch a little while ago, and the videos on the front page loaded in the wrong order for the posts.

The one that loaded for this article was kind of an amusing coincidence:

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l367/nosehat/boingboingwrongvideoscreenshot.png

By the way, it’s back to normal now.

By: Lobster

Lobster — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:06:00 +0000

Heh heh. Yeah. That thing is wacky.

By: MrBillWest

MrBillWest — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:59:00 +0000

Future famous last words: “Don’t worry, it won’t hit.”

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:56:00 +0000

The Bermuda Triangle is the back side of the Tannhauser Gate.

By: Guest

Guest — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:49:00 +0000

We’re off to outer space / We’re leaving Mother Earth / To save the human race / Our Star Blazers

By: planettom

planettom — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:35:00 +0000

That one in 2028 though isn’t coming as close as originally thought: It’s now projected to be 2.4 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Asteroid (35396) 1997 XF11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%2835396%29_1997_XF11

Of course, the impressive one is Apophis in 2029, which is going to come closer than geosynchronous satellites orbit. Within spittin’ distance, and supposedly will be visible to the naked eye.

By: stayzuplate

stayzuplate — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:33:00 +0000

The future better not turn out like some stupid Michael Bay movie!

By: CSBD

CSBD — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:23:00 +0000

Very similar to the Hammer Fall… I wounder if Tim Hamner is watching this?

By: Brainspore

Brainspore — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:18:00 +0000

…a 1,300 foot asteroid, about the size of an aircraft carrier…

Are we absolutely sure it's NOT an aircraft carrier? Maybe the USS Nimitz got sucked into another one of those spacetime vortex thingies.

By: LinkMan

LinkMan — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:03:00 +0000

If only Pierce Brosnan hadn’t destroyed the Arecibo telescope back in 1995…

By: irksome

irksome — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:50:00 +0000

“Ain’t no luck; I learned to duck.”

By: Lobster

Lobster — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:49:00 +0000

They would, and I have evidence to suggest they’ve given similar warnings before past disasters. Perhaps the most compelling case being the -*crushed by asteroid*

By: Mark Dow

Mark Dow — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:48:00 +0000

#occupyYU55

By: theophrastvs

theophrastvs — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:38:00 +0000

(dammit) ‘they’ should arrange to orbitally capture these proximal trespassers (a) for practice, (b) to use as base for all sorts of cool scientifical investigations and, (c) for its solid diamondium chewy nougat center. and like, what’s the worst that could possibly happen?

By: Walter Guyll

Walter Guyll — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:19:00 +0000

General strike!

By: Saidul A Shaari

Saidul A Shaari — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:13:00 +0000

Hmm… I don’t think people from my part of the world would be able to see it though.

By: chellberty

chellberty — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:09:00 +0000

Question “would they tell us if it really was going to hit?” Melancholia anyone?