German schoolboy, 13, corrects NASA's asteroid figures: pap

Capt.Flock · Post by **Capt.Flock** » April 16, 2008 4:57 am

A 13-year-old German schoolboy corrected NASA's estimates on the chances of an asteroid colliding with Earth, a German newspaper reported Tuesday, after spotting the boffins had miscalculated.

Nico Marquardt used telescopic findings from the Institute of Astrophysics in Potsdam (AIP) to calculate that there was a 1 in 450 chance that the Apophis asteroid will collide with Earth, the Potsdamer Neuerster Nachrichten reported.

NASA had previously estimated the chances at only 1 in 45,000 but told its sister organisation, the European Space Agency (ESA), that the young whizzkid had got it right.

The schoolboy took into consideration the risk of Apophis running into one or more of the 40,000 satellites orbiting Earth during its path close to the planet on April 13 2029.

Those satellites travel at 3.07 kilometres a second (1.9 miles), at up to 35,880 kilometres above earth -- and the Apophis asteroid will pass by earth at a distance of 32,500 kilometres.

If the asteroid strikes a satellite in 2029, that will change its trajectory making it hit earth on its next orbit in 2036.

Both NASA and Marquardt agree that if the asteroid does collide with earth, it will create a ball of iron and iridium 320 metres (1049 feet) wide and weighing 200 billion tonnes, which will crash into the Atlantic Ocean.

The shockwaves from that would create huge tsunami waves, destroying both coastlines and inland areas, whilst creating a thick cloud of dust that would darken the skies indefinitely.

The 13-year old made his discovery as part of a regional science competition for which he submitted a project entitled: "Apophis -- The Killer Astroid."

chippewa · Post by **chippewa** » April 16, 2008 8:34 am

time to get my affairs in order....

Carolinadreamin' · Post by **Carolinadreamin'** » April 16, 2008 9:20 am

Hubby has asked me to fry up a few pounds of bacon.......grill up a few dozen hamburgers and get another FCM 'cause we're gonna need a lot more boat drinks........anybody with us????

Tarheel Tail-Gator · Post by **Tarheel Tail-Gator** » April 16, 2008 9:22 am

I don't know
I don't know
I don't know where I'm gonna go when the asteroid strikes.

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » April 16, 2008 10:17 am

and it's gonna be too late to send Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck up to save us from this one...

CapnK · Post by **CapnK** » April 17, 2008 10:07 am

RinglingRingling wrote:and it's gonna be too late to send Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck up to save us from this one...

maybe we can get Liv Tyler to look at it with those dreamy eyes and melt the sucker.

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » April 17, 2008 10:10 am

CapnK wrote:
RinglingRingling wrote:and it's gonna be too late to send Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck up to save us from this one...
maybe we can get Liv Tyler to look at it with those dreamy eyes and melt the sucker.

Isn't she still sucking face with Viggo Mortinson? or did she go "into the west" with the other pervy hobbit-fanciers?

Caribbean Soul Man · Post by **Caribbean Soul Man** » April 17, 2008 3:41 pm

so, we got that going for us...which is nice

CapnK · Post by **CapnK** » April 17, 2008 4:22 pm

RinglingRingling wrote:
CapnK wrote:
RinglingRingling wrote:and it's gonna be too late to send Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck up to save us from this one...
maybe we can get Liv Tyler to look at it with those dreamy eyes and melt the sucker.
Isn't she still sucking face with Viggo Mortinson? or did she go "into the west" with the other pervy hobbit-fanciers?

no hobbit-foot fetish for RR? hmmm?

Big Red Parrothead · Post by **Big Red Parrothead** » April 17, 2008 4:25 pm

Not to take away from the discussion of Liv Tyler, but FWIW, NASA says the report of them changing their projections isn't true.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/080417/21/16ikw.html

unclejohn · Post by **unclejohn** » April 17, 2008 6:45 pm

Ok, but can we get back to Liv Tyler now?

TropicalTroubador · Post by **TropicalTroubador** » April 17, 2008 7:25 pm

Big Red Parrothead wrote:Not to take away from the discussion of Liv Tyler, but FWIW, NASA says the report of them changing their projections isn't true.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/080417/21/16ikw.html

I saw that story too.

OTOH, it's been a long time since I believed anyone from the government telling me that something was "perfectly safe." They can say anything they want now; whoever's making the statement will probably be safely retired by 2029 anyway.

flyboy55 · Post by **flyboy55** » April 17, 2008 7:48 pm

I have completed my own analysis of the data and have concluded that Apophis will, in fact, collide with the Earth in 2029. The impact will knock global civilization back to the Stone Age with the unpleasant result that most of humanity will die off.

I have taken steps to preserve a small breeding population (myself and a few dozen female volunteers) deep in an unused mine shaft with enough finger food, beer and DVDs to last about 25 years.

I will emerge at that time to lead humanity into a prosperous future . . .

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » April 17, 2008 8:00 pm

CapnK wrote:
RinglingRingling wrote:
CapnK wrote:
RinglingRingling wrote:and it's gonna be too late to send Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck up to save us from this one...
maybe we can get Liv Tyler to look at it with those dreamy eyes and melt the sucker.
Isn't she still sucking face with Viggo Mortinson? or did she go "into the west" with the other pervy hobbit-fanciers?
no hobbit-foot fetish for RR? hmmm?

I have hobbit feet. or at least the furriness.

Carolinadreamin' · Post by **Carolinadreamin'** » April 17, 2008 8:08 pm

Big Red Parrothead wrote:Not to take away from the discussion of Liv Tyler, but FWIW, NASA says the report of them changing their projections isn't true.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/080417/21/16ikw.html

Oh.....my husband is going to be mad!

He was planning on starting to eat bacon cheeseburgers starting this weekend........

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » April 17, 2008 8:10 pm

Carolinadreamin' wrote:
Big Red Parrothead wrote:Not to take away from the discussion of Liv Tyler, but FWIW, NASA says the report of them changing their projections isn't true.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/080417/21/16ikw.html

Oh.....my husband is going to be mad! He was planning on starting to eat bacon cheeseburgers starting this weekend........

tell him rubbing some dirt on the source of the pain will help..

Carolinadreamin' · Post by **Carolinadreamin'** » April 17, 2008 8:14 pm

RinglingRingling wrote:
Carolinadreamin' wrote:
Big Red Parrothead wrote:Not to take away from the discussion of Liv Tyler, but FWIW, NASA says the report of them changing their projections isn't true.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/080417/21/16ikw.html

Oh.....my husband is going to be mad! He was planning on starting to eat bacon cheeseburgers starting this weekend........
tell him rubbing some dirt on the source of the pain will help..

I tell him that all the time

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » April 17, 2008 9:07 pm

Carolinadreamin' wrote:
RinglingRingling wrote:
Carolinadreamin' wrote:
Big Red Parrothead wrote:Not to take away from the discussion of Liv Tyler, but FWIW, NASA says the report of them changing their projections isn't true.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/080417/21/16ikw.html

Oh.....my husband is going to be mad! He was planning on starting to eat bacon cheeseburgers starting this weekend........
tell him rubbing some dirt on the source of the pain will help..

I tell him that all the time

that explains his nickname being, "Dusty"