The Conservative Cave
Current Events => The DUmpster => Topic started by: Carl on October 21, 2014, 03:35:52 PM
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http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025695605
Tue Oct 21, 2014, 03:24 PM
Star Member WillyT (58,669 posts)
Well... This Is ****ing Par For The Course... Our Priorities Are So Screwed Up...
Earth at risk after cuts close comet-spotting program, scientists warn
The Guardian/RawStory
21 Oct 2014 at 00:53 ET
The Earth has been left with a huge blind spot for potentially devastating comet strikes after the only dedicated comet-spotting program in the southern hemisphere lost its funding, leading astronomers have warned.
The program, which discovered the Siding Spring comet that narrowly missed Mars on Sunday, was shut down last year after losing funding.
“It’s a real worry,†Bradley Tucker, an astronomer at the Australian National University (ANU) and University of California Berkeley, told Guardian Australia. “There could be something hurtling towards us right now and we wouldn’t know about it.â€
The Siding Spring survey – named after the observatory near Coonabarabran in central New South Wales, where the Mars comet was first spotted – was the only program in the southern hemisphere actively searching for potentially hazardous comets, asteroids and meteors.
Celestial objects that pass within 7.4m kilometres of the earth, or which are more than 150 metres in diameter, are considered potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs). There are 1,508 known cases. The most famous asteroid to have struck the Earth landed in Mexico about 65m years ago, and is believed to have caused or contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
A 20-metre meteor entered the Earth’s atmosphere undetected in 2013 and exploded spectacularly about 30km above Chelyabinsk in Russia, injuring 1,500 people. “It’s essentially like a nuclear bomb going off in the atmosphere,†Tucker said. “These things can do inconceivable damage.â€
The Nasa-funded Australian survey discovered more than 15 objects, and was led by Dr Robert McNaught, a Scottish-Australian scientist credited with discovering about 475 asteroids and about 82 comets, including the Siding Spring comet – more than any other astronomer.
<snip>
More: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/10/earth-at-risk-after-cuts-close-comet-spotting-program-scientists-warn/
Everybody DUCK!!!!
Response to WillyT (Original post)
Tue Oct 21, 2014, 03:31 PM
Louisiana1976 (3,744 posts)
4. I agree 100%--our priorities are screwed up. That comet and meteor spotting project should have its
funding restored or the Earth is ****ed.
:mental: :mental:
Response to WillyT (Original post)
Tue Oct 21, 2014, 03:30 PM
malthaussen (5,109 posts)
2. What are we gonna do, dodge?
I mean, if something's gonna hit us, there's not a lot we can do about it. I've got nothing against comet-watching in principle, and we spend peanuts on science as it is, so cutting their bread is idiotic, but I don't see that we're at greater "risk" thanks to this. Does every goddam special interest in the universe have to scream "we're all gonna DIE!!!!" when the slop-trough goes dry?
-- Mal
Your days are short.
God the DUmp is boring. :yawn:
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As long as we have Chuck Norris I am not afraid of a comet...
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And of course, the USA (who the DUmmies seem to think SUCK at everything) is the only one who can fund such a project and save all of humanity?
KC
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We might get hit by a comet, but at least NASA has a Muslim outreach program.
Barack Obama, mmm mmm mmm!
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We might get hit by a comet, but at least NASA has a Muslim outreach program.
Barack Obama, mmm mmm mmm!
Obama cut NASA's budget and left them to hitchhike with the Russians to get to the ISS.
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Response to malthaussen (Reply #2)
Tue Oct 21, 2014, 03:54 PM
Star Member jeff47 (13,456 posts)
8. No, we make it dodge.
All you have to do is apply thrust to the comet or asteroid so that it misses Earth.
The earlier you spot it, the easier it is to do - you just need a gentle nudge if impact is decades away. You need a mega****ton of thrust if impact is a week away.
:thatsright:
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:aliens:
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:thatsright:
You know, I have a friend who works with NASA and was picked to be over the 'landing on an asteroid' project. He disagrees with the DUmmie you quoted but what does he know, he's just a rocket scientist and the DUmmie is ... well, a DUmmie.
KC
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:aliens:
:lmao: :rotf: :rofl: :lol:
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There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, amateurs with telescopes in their backyards all around the world, just dying for a chance to discover a comet.
For FREE!
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I don't know about the rest of you, but if we're getting ready to get hit by a comet and end all life on Earth, I'm grabbing a blonde. Maybe two.
.
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We have entered a period of meteor showers caused by Haley's comet. It peaks tonight but lasts all week. Could see 10 per hour.
http://home.bt.com/news/sciencenews/halleys-comet-debris-creates-meteor-shower-11363938443038
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Look, as an expert (I play Kerbal Space Program), I know a thing or two about comets and meteors. And that's absolutely nothing. But, I can put my ship into an almost circular orbit around Kerbin.
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Look, as an expert (I play Kerbal Space Program), I know a thing or two about comets and meteors. And that's absolutely nothing. But, I can put my ship into an almost circular orbit around Kerbin.
I played Space Invaders once.
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I played Space Invaders once.
Get better practice here. http://www.freeasteroids.org/welcome/
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I played Space Invaders once
Missile Command.
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And of course, the USA (who the DUmmies seem to think SUCK at everything) is the only one who can fund such a project and save all of humanity?
KC
One would think that the RUSSIANS - who, by my count have been hit by TWO of these bad boys in the past century or so - would have a vested interest (if anybody does) in taking the lead on funding this "research" program the DUmbshits are screaming for. If they don't care enough to pony up for it, I fail to see why it should come out of MY pocket.
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One would think that the RUSSIANS - who, by my count have been hit by TWO of these bad boys in the past century or so - would have a vested interest (if anybody does) in taking the lead on funding this "research" program the DUmbshits are screaming for. If they don't care enough to pony up for it, I fail to see why it should come out of MY pocket.
Yes, one would think that. But the Russians have so much land that both hit in areas that aren't highly populated. They probably feel that they can take their chances.
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Well at least we won't die from global warming.
cindie
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Well at least we won't die from global warming.
cindie
Maybe not - but if a mountain sized chunk of ice hit earth, the odds are it would hit the ocean. After the water settles back down from the splash (any islands or shore nearby where most of the comet lands would be 'screwn' ) it would undoubtedly be slightly higher. - Which then becomes a result of global warming.
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If the Comet were to hit Florida, it would melt and fall into someone's mojito in South Beach.