I like this site
http://www.hohmanntransfer.com/crt.htm
And also
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/
I noticed that there are 6 known objects that could possibly hit us between now and the end of 2009. The probabilities are very low, but a few of them are pretty good sized. basically there is a cone of error for the orbital predictions of these bodies, and we are within that cone of error.
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/2004fu162.html
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/2004bx159.html
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/2006sf281.html
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/2006cd.html
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/2004xy130.html
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/2005tm173.html
Then of course, there is Apophis, which flies by in 2029 and then maybe hits in 2036.
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/a99942.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis
Just interesting stuff --- no particular point in this.
http://spaceweather.com/ is a cool site too, BTW --- check it out
and http://www.sec.noaa.gov/alerts/warnings_timeline.html
and http://www.heavens-above.com
This is really something we can presently do nothing about other than evacuate a definite area if we know it in time (which is unlikely). Fortunately there is an awful lot of room for "near Earth objects" to miss us and even one that comes within the Moon's orbit is rare. The rocks are normally less than a kilometer in diameter which means unless they hit a densely inhabited area, damage and deaths won't be too high. I think the last notable impact was a forest in Siberia in 1908.
meBigGuy,
Maybe not much point to it, but I have bookmarks to spaceweather and neo.jpl, just on the off chance...
Maybe not much point to it, but I have bookmarks to spaceweather and neo.jpl, just on the off chance...
QUOTE (Sapo+Oct 21 2007, 10:17 AM)
meBigGuy,
Maybe not much point to it, but I have bookmarks to spaceweather and neo.jpl, just on the off chance...
Would anyone even tell us if something was going to hit?
or could they even stop the info from getting out?
Maybe not much point to it, but I have bookmarks to spaceweather and neo.jpl, just on the off chance...
Would anyone even tell us if something was going to hit?
or could they even stop the info from getting out?
i am looking forward to 2029 meBigGuy
99942 Apophis (2004 MN4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis
it will be visible (without the need for binoculars or telescope) in dark skies and seen to travel at 42 degrees of sky per hour ! this one will be the first asteroid i have seen move without having to track its position against back ground stars over a course of a week etc
99942 Apophis (2004 MN4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis
it will be visible (without the need for binoculars or telescope) in dark skies and seen to travel at 42 degrees of sky per hour ! this one will be the first asteroid i have seen move without having to track its position against back ground stars over a course of a week etc
That is cool. I was lucky enough to see a Shuttle going over to the north, traversing my sky like a bat out of hell. Amazing how quick it seems...
i have heard the space shuttle orbits at about 240 degrees of sky per hour, bat out of hell does seem appropriate 
Truly fine sight! A bright paintbrush, about a finger's width at arms length, passing from treeline to treeline in maybe 1.5 minutes. I expected a rumble, but it was too high...
paul h. It is probable that they would not tell us. Impact sites can not be judged with a great deal of accuracy because of an object's shape moving through our atmosphere, pockets of gas and ice on the surface whose vaporisation can change the trajectory.
There is also the problem of evacuation in that a major panic may kill a lot of people and later have been found to be unnecessary which would mean a problem with confidence in later evacuations. Then again, a large rock and little time (because it is dark and was seen too late) could mean that most of the people could not escape the impact area in time.
There is also the problem of evacuation in that a major panic may kill a lot of people and later have been found to be unnecessary which would mean a problem with confidence in later evacuations. Then again, a large rock and little time (because it is dark and was seen too late) could mean that most of the people could not escape the impact area in time.
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