quote:

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LONDON (July 24) - A massive asteroid could hit Earth in just 17 years' time, destroying life as we know it, a British space expert said on Wednesday.

The asteroid -- the most threatening object ever detected in space -- is 1.2 miles wide and apparently on a direct collision course with Earth.

"Objects of this size only hit the Earth every one or two million years," said Dr Benny Peiser, an asteroid expert at Liverpool John Moore's University in northern England.

"In the worst case scenario, a disaster of this size would be global in its extent, would create a meltdown of our economic and social life, and would reduce us to dark age conditions," he told Reuters.

But Peiser and other space experts say they are pretty confident this nightmare scenario will not come about.

"This thing is the highest threat that has been catalogued, but the scale in terms of the threat keeps changing," said Peter Bond, spokesman for the Royal Astronomical Society.

"If it did hit the Earth it would cause a continental-size explosion...but it is a fairly remote possibility."

The asteroid -- named 2002 NT7 -- was first detected earlier this month by the United States Linear sky survey program.

Since then, Peiser said scientists at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) near-Earth objects team and at Pisa University in Italy have carried out orbit calculations to work out the probability and potential date of impact to define the risk it poses.

Their calculations show it could hit the earth on February 1, 2019.

"The impact probability is below one in a million, but because the first impact date is so early -- only 17 years from now -- and the object is very large, it's been rated on the impact risk Palermo Scale as a positive," Peiser said. "It is the first object which has ever hit a positive rating."

Scientists warn, however, that the risk rating has not been reviewed by the International Astronomical Union, which is the main international body responsible for announcing such risks.

Peiser said 2002 NT7 would continue to be monitored by space experts across the world, and that over time, these observations would probably erase the threat posed by it.

"In all likelihood, in a couple of months additional observations will eliminate this object from the list of potential impacts," he said. "I am very confident that additional observations over time will...show that it is actually not on a collision course with Earth."

But he warned that the world should take this as wake-up call and set about preparing for the reality of an asteroid hit in the future.

"Sooner or later -- and no one can really tell us which it will be -- we will find an object that is on a collision course. That is as certain as "Amen" in church. And eventually we will have to deflect an object from its collision course," he said.

At the moment, he added, scientists fear it could take at least 30 years for the world to be able to devise and set up a mission to deal with such a threat -- a timescale which would be woefully inadequate if the 2019 strike were to happen.

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i tried to find other documentation about this asteroid, but for some reason every NASA page i tried to connect to refused my connection.

One good thing is if this meteor really is coming, I'll finally get to try heroin without the risk of it completely consuming and fucking over my life. It's something I always promised myself I'd do if I ever get terminal cancer or something, and this may be something.

Heh cool, we're gonna have to party 'til then...

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Originally posted by Canyonero:
One good thing is if this meteor really is coming, I'll finally get to try heroin without the risk of it completely consuming and fucking over my life. It's something I always promised myself I'd do if I ever get terminal cancer or something, and this may be [b]something.[/B]

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sounds like fun. Can you score me some shit too.

PS where is your source. I mean if something is gonna slam into earth that should be top news.

What did they name it?

its unlikely but if it were to happen and assuming it didnt kill me then it would be like a dream come true. man returns to his natural and intended state. not such a bad thing at all.

If we don't survive, i'm paying for the beer.

It's Adam! and only going to be 19 years late! (sorry, Evangelion joke)

Well, damn. At least by then I can legally get laid, try booze, and fire a gun.

tr0g: its an associated press article written by Kate Kelland. sorry, i meant to include that. as for your other question;

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Originally posted by junglist:The asteroid -- named 2002 NT7 -- was first detected earlier this month by the United States Linear sky survey program.

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as i said, i tried to get several other pages about it, theyd show up in searches, but then it would say that i couldnt connect. it said that the connection was refused.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2147879.stm

As soon as I posted this and a few other things I turned on CNN and it was being talked about. But like you wrote it is said to be a 1 in a million chance. Thats a crock of shit. They just dont want panic. Unless they mean it will just pass our path around the sun. Then it is a 1 in a million chance earth will be at that exact point when it crosses.


I wouldnt worry about it anyways. 17 years is a ways off and im sure we will have a global nuclear war by then with the way shit is going.

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Originally posted by tr0g:
sounds like fun. Can you score me some shit too.

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Sure, there's plenty of dope to go around.

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I mean if something is gonna slam into earth that should be top news.

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Probably not...the governments of the world know that if something like this were to be top news, and percived as the "Doomsday Asteroid" they'd loose all their control.

Don't worry. Statistically you're more likely to be run over by a bus next year.

Now there's a comforting thought.

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Originally posted by MagKnightX:
[B]It's Adam! and only going to be 19 years late! (sorry, Evangelion joke)
[B]

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*snickers*

-Chibi

-Least some people around here watch NGE

If u ask me, it'd be a damn good thing to have a very near miss/collision.... shake things up a bit and make us wake up to that fact that we're fucking this planet up good style, for us and everything else.[/eco-warrior]

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Aloha.
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Originally posted by ChibiMiko:
*snickers*

-Chibi

-Least some people around here watch NGE

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I could only score the first 12 episodes

Oh well eh ? It might happen it might not. I wonder what would happen ? Oh well time to ponder about the shit i wanna do through these 17 years.

Peace Renegade,

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Originally posted by Canyonero:
Sure, there's plenty of dope to go around.

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are you sure.. there maybe a short suply and high demand on drugs when the time comes.

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Originally posted by MoRt:
If u ask me, it'd be a damn good thing to have a very near miss/collision.... shake things up a bit and make us wake up to that fact that we're fucking this planet up good style, for us and everything else.[/eco-warrior]

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Aloha.
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If people didnt know it was just a near miss and expected the planet to be destroyed then Corperations, People and law makers would just figure there is nothing to lose and people will gut this planet like a fish for frying.

If they did find out it was a near miss before it hits then people will just have a beautiful light show to watch.

Hell, maybe if it hits, and we don't all die, it'll be fun. We can rebuild the world and make new laws. Legalize dope, if it still grows!

we still have 17 years to nuke the sucker even if it's coming right at us like the hammer of god

thats about when the singularity hits....

the chance of it hitting is 1 in 500,000

quote:

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Originally posted by MoRt:
If u ask me, it'd be a damn good thing to have a very near miss/collision.... shake things up a bit and make us wake up to that fact that we're fucking this planet up good style, for us and everything else.[/eco-warrior]

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Aloha.
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It's a shame we'd all be too busy being dead to put the revelation to good use.

Seriously though, I agree with you on one level, but I think most people on earth would be dead long before the meteor hit due to riots, murders, suicides, and the starvation that would be a result of the system shutting down.