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| 2006-11-20 |
| Friday the 13th of April 2029 could be a very unlucky day for planet Earth. At 4:36 am Greenwich Mean Time, a 25-million-ton, 820-ft.-wide asteroid called 99942 Apophis will slice across the orbit of the moon and barrel toward Earth at more than 28,000 mph. The huge pockmarked rock, two-thirds the size of Devils Tower in Wyoming, will pack the energy of 65,000 Hiroshima bombs—enough to wipe out a small country or kick up an 800-ft. tsunami. . . . Excellent story, including much discussion on just how to deflect Apophis if the need arises. |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #18 At 6200 feet and 1500 miles from any ocean, I don't think I'll worry about any tsunamis. Of course, if this little bugger DOES hit, every fault within 10,000 miles is going to let loose. I wonder if my earthquake insurance is up-to-date... |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2006-11-20 16:56 |
| #17 Would you like to schedule a "Request for Quote" meeting? Let's see... Next Wed at 2 is open. |
| Posted by: Haliburton Asteroid Shield Div. 2006-11-20 16:33 |
| #16 Caracas, Venezuela, all would be in line for near-direct hits and complete destruction. Hey, Hugo. Bend your Bush-bashing ass over for this one. |
| Posted by: Halliburton Assteroid Steering Division 2006-11-20 14:56 |
| #15 cool! I finally get beachfront property! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-11-20 14:42 |
| #14 Yo! Kelly! A firm date finally. Kools it is. Good news is 2 days before income tax deadline. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2006-11-20 12:50 |
| #13 Lol, BP. |
| Posted by: .com 2006-11-20 11:43 |
| #12 If it's proved it will not damage the U.S. then Americans should make sure they a) "Don't weaponise space" b) interfere in another countries responsibility. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles in Blairistan 2006-11-20 11:29 |
| #11 The Plutanese have a saying: "Revenge is a dish best served cold." |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-11-20 10:18 |
| #10 Nah, DV. By then it'll be Universal (as in Universe-wide) warming, because that darn President Bush didn't sign Kyoto back in naught-five. |
| Posted by: BA 2006-11-20 10:15 |
| #9 It's Niburu, I tell you, the anunnaki are coming back, that's all. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-11-20 09:32 |
| #8 It is Bush's fault! Global warming! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-11-20 09:28 |
| #7 would have to arrive on friday the 13th , typical :P note to self , stay in bed |
| Posted by: MacNails 2006-11-20 09:15 |
| #6 In the year 2029 if man is doin fine he may not drink his wine for some time Grab your ankles, assume the position prepare for apocalyptic conditions The world we know, soon will go bust cause God's dropped a dime on us. whoa-a-whoooow |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-11-20 08:38 |
| #5 So I should change my name and not use Fred's assigned one? Be seeing y'all soon. |
| Posted by: 99942 Apophis 2006-11-20 08:22 |
| #4 So... this is Planet X, am I right? |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-11-20 07:42 |
| #3 If Costa Rica wasn't in the landing footprint I'd be pretty conflicted. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2006-11-20 07:37 |
| #2 asteroid called 99942 Apophis Goddamned System Lords. Bad enough they masquerade as gods. Guess we're gonna have to sic McGyver on them again. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2006-11-20 07:27 |
| #1 According to projections, an Apophis impact would occur somewhere along a curving 30-mile-wide swath stretching across Russia, the Pacific Ocean, Central America and on into the Atlantic. Managua, Nicaragua; San José, Costa Rica; and Caracas, Venezuela, all would be in line for near-direct hits and complete destruction. Don't sound so bad to me! The most likely target, though, is several thousand miles off the West Coast, where Apophis would create a 5-mile-wide, 9000-ft.-deep "crater" in the water. The collapse of that transient water crater would trigger tsunamis that would hammer California with an hour-long fusillade of 50-ft. waves. Not to worry; Queen-of-the-Universe Pelosi will not permit it. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2006-11-20 07:27 |