Reply to: End of the world

[mudskipper]

Am I reading that right, it will get as close to Earth as the moon is? That really is VERY close when you consider the size of the universe.

Is it big enough that if it passed between Earth and Moon we could see it with an amateur telescope?

"The rock, which is quarter of a mile across, will pass between our planet and the moon in November and will be visible with small telescopes."

...Maybe another time.

"Nasa has officially labelled it a Potentially Hazardous Object, but have stressed there is no danger of impact while on its current course. "

Anyone know what causes asteroids to change course? Think I'll leave my Christmas shopping till December just in case.

[derekthedalek]

Maybe it will clip the moon causing it to rotate enough so we can see all those aliens hiding on the dark side.

Hang on - what? It won't, will it?

[PAH]

Maybe it will hit us and they daren't tell us as there would be mass panic.

[d000hg]

Asteroid 2005 YU55 to Approach Earth on November 8, 2011

0.85 lunar distances, but it's only 400m across. It could be

Is it big enough that if it passed between Earth and Moon we could see it with an amateur telescope?

[Doggy Styles]

That takes care of Swindon.

What about Slough?

If NASA do their maths, Prescott could re-enter there.

On second thoughts, an anthrax epidemic would be kinder.

[Sysman]

If it were to hit the earth, the asteroid, named YU55, would have an impact equivalent to 65,000 atom bombs and would leave a crater more than six miles wide and 2,000ft deep.

That takes care of Swindon.

What about Slough?

[TimberWolf]

Am I reading that right, it will get as close to Earth as the moon is? That really is VERY close when you consider the size of the universe.

This animation suggests it's outside the earth-moon-sun plane (ecliptic plane)

i.e. so even though it's close, it doesn't cross the earth's orbit near the earth, on this orbit. Maybe another time.

[doodab]

Am I reading that right, it will get as close to Earth as the moon is? That really is VERY close when you consider the size of the universe.

Asteroid 2005 YU55 to Approach Earth on November 8, 2011

0.85 lunar distances, but it's only 400m across. It could be

[PAH]

Maybe it will clip the moon causing it to rotate enough so we can see all those aliens hiding on the dark side.

[d000hg]

2005 YU55, in February 2010 was rated with a value of 1. It was downgraded to 0* on 9 April 2010[10], but will make its closest approach to Earth within lunar distance in November 2011.

Am I reading that right, it will get as close to Earth as the moon is? That really is VERY close when you consider the size of the universe.

[Old Greg]

I flew RyanAir recently for the first time, usually go with BA. A few painful memories are

a) 1mm of leg room unless you are a midget or child.
b) Have to pay for food.
c) No entertainment other than the cabin crew trying to sell you all manner of crap.
d) Waiting for 2 hours to checkin at the airport (after doing it online before) because they had two desks processing 3 closely departing flights.
e) Having to take buses to get the the plane.

Never again, I would rather pay a bit more and not feel like cattle.

Ryanair suddenly seems like an attractive option again.

[russell]

If this did happen you can guarantee that Stelios and O'Leary will find a way of getting chavs there on holiday for a pound. Probably involving collectable vouchers from The Sun.

I flew RyanAir recently for the first time, usually go with BA. A few painful memories are

a) 1mm of leg room unless you are a midget or child.
b) Have to pay for food.
c) No entertainment other than the cabin crew trying to sell you all manner of crap.
d) Waiting for 2 hours to checkin at the airport (after doing it online before) because they had two desks processing 3 closely departing flights.
e) Having to take buses to get the the plane.

Never again, I would rather pay a bit more and not feel like cattle.

[Pondlife]

I may not have thought this out properly.

Perhaps if they didn't form a black hole but simply formed a new planet, like Saturn's debris rings, we would have a ring of Ginsters orbiting around it.

It could be a new attraction or secondary food source.

If this did happen you can guarantee that Stelios and O'Leary will find a way of getting chavs there on holiday for a pound. Probably involving collectable vouchers from The Sun.

[Old Greg]

I may not have thought this out properly.

Perhaps if they didn't form a black hole but simply formed a new planet, like Saturn's debris rings, we would have a ring of Ginsters orbiting around it.

It could be a new attraction or secondry food source.

The flatulence would create an irregular orbit, like a comet.

[hyperD]

They would collide with each other and form a black hole, dooming us all.

I may not have thought this out properly.

Perhaps if they didn't form a black hole but simply formed a new planet, like Saturn's debris rings, we would have a ring of Ginsters orbiting around it.

It could be a new attraction or secondary food source.