What 'near miss' was that again??

[Chris]

If you've not heard much about the 'near miss' Earth had last Friday, you're not alone. Seems an asteroid the size of a double decker bus skirted within 28,000 miles of the atmosphere and nobody thought it worthwhile to tell us... or warn us in advance.

Ok if scientists tell us it would most probably have broken up in the atmosphere and caused relatively minimal damage even if it had hit the ground *whole*... that's surely not the point! We've all seen pictures of what happened in Siberia when a 'small' asteroid impacted so 'minimal' might have been an entire city centre!

I'm not in favour of causing panic for the sake of it but there are times when the public really *does* have a right to know and I reckon this was one of them!!

Source: Spacewatchers admit 'near miss' as asteroid passes Earth

[Cran]

The asteroid, which had been unknown before it popped into view from a telescope in Arizona on Wednesday, came within about 60,000 kilometres of Earth about 4am [AEDT], he said...

NASA had announced on Twitter on Thursday that the asteroid would "safely pass Earth on January 27".

Found, identified, announced within one day, and with one day remaining to by-pass; how does this not comply with the public's right to know?

[Chris]

The asteroid, which had been unknown before it popped into view from a telescope in Arizona on Wednesday, came within about 60,000 kilometres of Earth about 4am [AEDT], he said...

NASA had announced on Twitter on Thursday that the asteroid would "safely pass Earth on January 27".

Found, identified, announced within one day, and with one day remaining to by-pass; how does this not comply with the public's right to know?

It wasn't given any wide publicity. For example, there was nothing on the ABC evening news to say this thing was on its way! Nor did I see it in any of the news sources until the following day. Seems to me like a Douglas Adams type of disclosure... " on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying "Beware of The Leopard".'"

[Minx]

experts were not concerned about the possibility of an impact

I guess at  the very least the " Sky's Falling!" crews could have made something out of it

[Cran]

The asteroid, which had been unknown before it popped into view from a telescope in Arizona on Wednesday, came within about 60,000 kilometres of Earth about 4am [AEDT], he said...

NASA had announced on Twitter on Thursday that the asteroid would "safely pass Earth on January 27".

Found, identified, announced within one day, and with one day remaining to by-pass; how does this not comply with the public's right to know?

It wasn't given any wide publicity. For example, there was nothing on the ABC evening news to say this thing was on its way! Nor did I see it in any of the news sources until the following day. Seems to me like a Douglas Adams type of disclosure... " on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying "Beware of The Leopard".'"

Ah well, that's a matter you'll have to take up with the Murdochs, Packers, and Blacks of the world; of course, it would only make it onto the news if it was newsworthy, ie, if there was a danger of impact and panic.

Do you think that the news media does not monitor announcements from NASA?

[Chris]

Do you think that the news media does not monitor announcements from NASA?

Seems that in this case they didn't because it wasn't reported until a day *after* the event!

[Cran]

Must have been a "slow news" day, then.


ETA: of course, we tend to be a day ahead of the USA, so that the day (date) after over here may still be the day (date) before over there.

[Minx]

So CC?

Are U p'd off because you might have gotten obliterated but didn't get to know that you should bless each day you live?

[Chris]

So CC?

Are U p'd off because you might have gotten obliterated but didn't get to know that you should bless each day you live?

Something along those lines. I'd like the chance to say 'bye' to people... tho in the overall scheme of things I suppose it wouldn't make a lot of difference either way!

[Minx]

Thought so

Only advice...think twice before buying Christmas presents this year

However, even that seems to be in doubt

According to all the ridiculous hype surrounding Dec. 21, 2012, the Mayans "predicted" the end of the world with one of their calendars. On this date, doomsayers assert that Earth will be ravaged by a smorgasbord of cataclysmic astronomical events -- everything from a Planet X flyby to a "killer" solar flare to a geomagnetic reversal, ensuring we have a very, very bad day. As we all know by now, these theories of doom are bunkum.

And now, according to a recent study by an associate professor at UC Santa Barbara, this fundamental "end date" may also be inaccurate. It could be at least 60 days out of whack.

http://news.discovery.com/space/the-2012-mayan-calendar-doomsday-date-might-be-wrong.html

[Chris]

Thought so

Only advice...think twice before buying Christmas presents this year

However, even that seems to be in doubt

According to all the ridiculous hype surrounding Dec. 21, 2012, the Mayans "predicted" the end of the world with one of their calendars. On this date, doomsayers assert that Earth will be ravaged by a smorgasbord of cataclysmic astronomical events -- everything from a Planet X flyby to a "killer" solar flare to a geomagnetic reversal, ensuring we have a very, very bad day. As we all know by now, these theories of doom are bunkum.

And now, according to a recent study by an associate professor at UC Santa Barbara, this fundamental "end date" may also be inaccurate. It could be at least 60 days out of whack.

http://news.discovery.com/space/the-2012-mayan-calendar-doomsday-date-might-be-wrong.html

Maybe the best time to say -bye-bye and thanks for all the fish' would be now??