General Discussion - 2

RedDragonX · Mar 09, 2009 1:12 AM

Pssst...relax...live life to the fullest and you have nothing to worry about smile

bmah · Mar 09, 2009 6:28 AM

RedDragonX wrote:

Make sure you guys stay on topic...and way back to some post about the asteroid not doing much...I think if some asteroid was about 800 miles long...which is roughly as long as Texas...it would do quite a bit of damage.

Even a meteor a few kilometers long can be very catastrophic. Remember, damage depends mainly on impact velocity.

Now about frequency of occurrence:
Every year, there are always meteors that fly towards earth, but most are mainly vaporized by the time they reach Earth's atmosphere or within the atmosphere. The frequency of having a meteor large enough to enter the atmosphere with enough velocity to hit the surface of the earth with significant damage is pretty rare.
In the very distant past (as in, the time Earth was being formed, the Hadean eon), the Earth was hammered with a ton of meteorites. The frequency of impacts has exponentially declined as time passed, but I don't really know why that's the case. However, I'm pretty sure a major impact will happen in the distant future. Definitely not within our lifetimes for sure. I'm talking about several million years kind of a prediction.

midget_roxx · Mar 09, 2009 1:19 PM

Asteroids also depend on the composition e.g is it metal or all rock.

bmah wrote:

The frequency of having a meteor large enough to enter the atmosphere with enough velocity to hit the surface of the earth with significant damage is pretty rare.

You might want to check that out as well because you will be surprised by the amount of asteroids that do pass the Earth that are about 2km in diameter.

MarioSpyro · Mar 09, 2009 2:25 PM

Nope, I still haven't found a source but in the beginning of class I get to ask my instructor if he has a source.

I think the only reason I think they wouldn't put this thing on the news, is that they don't want anyone to panic, well that's just what I think anyway.

Swaffy · Mar 09, 2009 3:31 PM

You've said that you haven't found a source many times over, dude.

If an asteroid were to hit Earth, it would be too small to do any damage.
Maybe destroy a building if it directly hit the building. But we are safe from
asteroids. And... if one did kill us all in some whack situation, I know that I
would go to a better place. : )

raven · Mar 09, 2009 4:11 PM

bmah wrote:

Even a meteor a few kilometers long can be very catastrophic. Remember, damage depends mainly on impact velocity.
Now about frequency of occurrence:
Every year, there are always meteors that fly towards earth, but most are mainly vaporized by the time they reach Earth's atmosphere or within the atmosphere. The frequency of having a meteor large enough to enter the atmosphere with enough velocity to hit the surface of the earth with significant damage is pretty rare.
In the very distant past (as in, the time Earth was being formed, the Hadean eon), the Earth was hammered with a ton of meteorites. The frequency of impacts has exponentially declined as time passed, but I don't really know why that's the case. However, I'm pretty sure a major impact will happen in the distant future. Definitely not within our lifetimes for sure. I'm talking about several million years kind of a prediction.

Maybe the impact rate on Earth has decreased because some of the space debris has been attracted into orbit around the sun (eg. Asteroid belt) as the solar system stabilised. Of course, I'm no scientist lol.

I agree with you that there could (or will) be another major impact, but I believe it could just as easily be within our lifetimes as it could be millions of years away.

Spyro Master · Mar 09, 2009 5:17 PM

I think we might survive if there was another one, e.g underground bunkers mabye. But i dunno it would depend where it would hit, and it would cause dust storms for years as well.

Aceedwin · Mar 09, 2009 5:20 PM

I don't have a place in my life for a meteor crash, so it;s not allowed to happen.

Spyro Master · Mar 09, 2009 5:21 PM

i doubt you will be able to stop it if it does happen.

Aceedwin · Mar 09, 2009 5:23 PM

But the point is it won't happen, because I don't have room for it. Tough cheese meteor.

Spyro Master · Mar 09, 2009 5:32 PM

O.o your not making any sense now. But its possible anyway, we just dont know when it will happen

Aceedwin · Mar 09, 2009 5:53 PM

Imagine a book, where by chapter 3, a meteor hits and the rest of the book is blank. Wouldn't be a good book, so it can't happen.

Spyro Master · Mar 09, 2009 6:20 PM

Right, but we dont know about the future so it might or might not happen.

Aceedwin · Mar 09, 2009 6:27 PM

You didn't even bother attempting to understand what I mean. I have no wish to talk to you. Now I am grumpy. I hopt you're happy...

Rurikredwolf · Mar 09, 2009 8:43 PM

Aceedwin: What I am gettign from what you are saying is that the universe revolves around you. Nothing is allowed to happen unless you have room for it.

WAKE UP CALL! 80% of the time nothing goes your way.

MarioSpyro · Mar 09, 2009 8:51 PM

Dang, that's a Burn.

RedDragonX · Mar 09, 2009 9:00 PM

Well that was one way to say it.

Anyways doesn't matter in the end. If a freaking meteor is gonna wipe us out then it will happen and everything will go up together. No use really getting worked up about it.

Spyro Master · Mar 09, 2009 9:30 PM

Everything has its time really. Can we talk about something else now? cant think of anything though XD

bmah · Mar 10, 2009 12:09 AM

raven wrote:

Maybe the impact rate on Earth has decreased because some of the space debris has been attracted into orbit around the sun (eg. Asteroid belt) as the solar system stabilised. Of course, I'm no scientist lol.

Actually, come to think of it, I think the reason is because the Earth at that time did not have a fully developed atmosphere; i.e. its "barrier" was weak. The atmosphere developed as a result of a complex set of factors, including the creation of key elements and the gradual increase in the orbit stability of rocks that accreted to form the Earth.

midget_roxx wrote:

Asteroids also depend on the composition e.g is it metal or all rock.

Careful of terminology here...what you said really didn't make sense, but I know what you're getting at. And the answer is no, that's actually not a major factor. Whether it's a stony meteor (lower %tage of iron) or iron meteor (high %tage), force of impact is mainly speed dependent.

midget_roxx wrote:

bmah wrote:
The frequency of having a meteor large enough to enter the atmosphere with enough velocity to hit the surface of the earth with significant damage is pretty rare.
You might want to check that out as well because you will be surprised by the amount of asteroids that do pass the Earth that are about 2km in diameter.

I know that already - what point are you trying to make? Meteors of that size do frequently come to Earth, but they're still burned up by the time they hit the atmosphere. We're talking about meteors that remain that size AFTER they get past the atmosphere (in other words, the meteor would initially have to be quite large).

TornWings · Mar 10, 2009 1:45 AM

You think we'd have some sort of intercept system for this stuff by now... seeing as a few well placed explosives could break down any incoming meteors to more manageable pieces... unless we're talking an "Armageddon" sized one...

RedDragonX · Mar 10, 2009 2:07 AM

TornWings wrote:

You think we'd have some sort of intercept system for this stuff by now... seeing as a few well placed explosives could break down any incoming meteors to more manageable pieces... unless we're talking an "Armageddon" sized one...

In that case we better start running for the hills my friend 0.o...

bmah · Mar 10, 2009 4:00 AM

TornWings wrote:

You think we'd have some sort of intercept system for this stuff by now... seeing as a few well placed explosives could break down any incoming meteors to more manageable pieces...

Actually, there has been projects going on for quite a while regarding the use of a defense system to deflect incoming meteors that are a threat. A pretty expensive goal for sure, and I don't know how that stuff will be pulled off.

RedDragonX · Mar 10, 2009 4:01 AM

I doubt they would be able to...but who knows. Unfortunately that's not my department 0.o..

midget_roxx · Mar 10, 2009 1:00 PM

bmah wrote:

I know that already - what point are you trying to make? Meteors of that size do frequently come to Earth, but they're still burned up by the time they hit the atmosphere. We're talking about meteors that remain that size AFTER they get past the atmosphere (in other words, the meteor would initially have to be quite large).

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_sc … page08.cfm

Use this site to figure out actually how much the different variables can affect how much energy is produced on impact.

And with the defending the Earth from an asteroid ... well it should be interesting to see if you can hit and object going at about 30km/sec big_smile

MarioSpyro · Mar 10, 2009 2:23 PM

I don't believe that there anyway to defend Earth From a Globle Killer.
Or do you think the opposite?

#176 Mar 09, 2009 1:12 AM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#177 Mar 09, 2009 6:28 AM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#178 Mar 09, 2009 1:19 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#179 Mar 09, 2009 2:25 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#180 Mar 09, 2009 3:31 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#181 Mar 09, 2009 4:11 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#182 Mar 09, 2009 5:17 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#183 Mar 09, 2009 5:20 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#184 Mar 09, 2009 5:21 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#185 Mar 09, 2009 5:23 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#186 Mar 09, 2009 5:32 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#187 Mar 09, 2009 5:53 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#188 Mar 09, 2009 6:20 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#189 Mar 09, 2009 6:27 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#190 Mar 09, 2009 8:43 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#191 Mar 09, 2009 8:51 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#192 Mar 09, 2009 9:00 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#193 Mar 09, 2009 9:30 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#194 Mar 10, 2009 12:09 AM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#195 Mar 10, 2009 1:45 AM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#196 Mar 10, 2009 2:07 AM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#197 Mar 10, 2009 4:00 AM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#198 Mar 10, 2009 4:01 AM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#199 Mar 10, 2009 1:00 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

#200 Mar 10, 2009 2:23 PM

Re: General Discussion - 2

Board footer