WTF is this?

User45701

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Earth-Has-Near-Miss-As-Asteroid-Passes-50000-Miles-Away/Article/200903115234146?lpos=UK_News_First_Home_Article_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15234146_Earth_Has_Near_Miss_As_Asteroid_Passes_50%2C000_Miles_Away

So its big enough to cause a bit WTF if it hit but nowhere near big enough to be in the where all going to die camp.

What i want to know is why is this only news now? why was it not news on monday when it was spotted?

To quote one of the posters on the sky site

"Funny how we never heard about this in newspapers or on the news and this is such an important issue. However when a celb scratches their *** or picks their nose we all know about that. I think the press need to get their priorities in order.
Posted By :Scott Robb"

johnnysmack

the news crowd probably had space to fill today that they didnt monday. some celebrity probably scratched their head or something. and seen that it was a near miss that was never actually gonna hit why bother getting worked up bout. while you and i might find it interesting everyone else probably doesnt really care.

Kevster

They only discovered it at the last moment and obviously quickly determined that it was going to miss. That's why it's only been reported now. I don't understand the apparent frustration/anger that you're showing here.

bennyblanco

Asteroid 2009 DD45?
Catchy,I wonder if DD stands for doomsday?And if so has there already been 44 near misses this year?or maybe it was 45 for 45,000kms
nyehh
What would you've done if was on the news anyway OP?

Iridium

Naming convention for asteroids is a bit strange.

2009 is the year of discovery (that's obvious enough). The first D represents a half month period when the object was first noticed. So A would be Jan 1-15, B would be Jan 16-31 and D would be Feb 15-28.

The first asteroid discovered in this half month period would be called 2009 DA. This is followed by 2009 DB, DC etc. until they get to DZ. Then they go on to DA1, DB1, DC1 and so on.

So 2009 DD45 would be the 1,174th asteroid discovered in the period 15-28 Feb 2009.

I think!

andreas_220D

Iridium wrote: »

So 2009 DD45 would be the 1,174th asteroid discovered in the period 15-28 Feb 2009.

I think!

16-28 Feb. 2009

Detailed info here: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/info/OldDesDoc.html

bennyblanco

I was waaaay off
thanks dudes:)

mukki

bennyblanco wrote: »

I was waaaay off
thanks dudes:)

ah you waren't way off, you had a near miss

Iridium

andreas_220D wrote: »

16-28 Feb. 2009

Detailed info here: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/info/OldDesDoc.html

To further correct myself, it's actually the 1,129th asteroid discovered in this period. I had not noticed that they don't use the letter I.

Thanks for the link.

starchild27

First spotted on Saturday?? I thought NASA were constantly scanning the skies for things like this?? Incredible not to have heard a thing about this :eek:

Captain Chaos

Saturday Feb 28/29th. NASA are mainly looking for objects 500 metre - 1km wide and bigger, other agencies and amatures generally spot the smaller ones which are way harder to find. This thing was the size of a 10 story building and well outside the orbit of the Moon when it was spotted which is pretty good for a dark object of that size.

Look at how big the ISS is and what it looks like flying by at 200-300 miles up with sunlight reflecting of the solar pannels. This asteroid was at 45,000 miles at its closed point and if it came from the direction of the Sun would be almost me impossible to detect untill the last minute even if it were a kms wide.

Iridium

Captain Chaos wrote: »

if it came from the direction of the Sun would be almost me impossible to detect untill the last minute even if it were a kms wide.

Sobering!

drunkmonkey

if something like this landed in carlow, what would the damage be like? would u be safe enough in kildare?

Jackeenboy

drunkmonkey wrote: »

if something like this landed in carlow, what would the damage be like? would u be safe enough in kildare?

It would probably kill the farmers

raunch

User45701 wrote: »

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Earth-Has-Near-Miss-As-Asteroid-Passes-50000-Miles-Away/Article/200903115234146?lpos=UK_News_First_Home_Article_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15234146_Earth_Has_Near_Miss_As_Asteroid_Passes_50%2C000_Miles_Away

So its big enough to cause a bit WTF if it hit but nowhere near big enough to be in the where all going to die camp.

What i want to know is why is this only news now? why was it not news on monday when it was spotted?

To quote one of the posters on the sky site

"Funny how we never heard about this in newspapers or on the news and this is such an important issue. However when a celb scratches their *** or picks their nose we all know about that. I think the press need to get their priorities in order.
Posted By :Scott Robb"

Jeebus, first i heard of that, way to close for comfort.

994

drunkmonkey wrote: »

if something like this landed in carlow, what would the damage be like? would u be safe enough in kildare?

probably be massive dust clouds all over ireland.

Helix

raunch wrote: »

Jeebus, first i heard of that, way to close for comfort.

id imagine if anything is on a collision course that we wont be told until it looks like leaking tbh