Asteroid 2004 MN4

[Harwood Butcher]

Back in 2004 astronomers thought that an asteroid, Asteroid 2004 MN4, would hit into the earth. If it were to hit land mass, it would devistate an area the size of texas and if water, it would cause widespread tsunamis. Currently astronomers believe that it will simply pass the earth scarily close.

The asteroid is 320 meters wide, which is roughly 1050 feet. This asteroid will come within 18,600 miles above the ground, which is 4,000 miles below telescopes and it will be viewable to those in Europe, Asia and Africa. Occurances of asteroids coming this close to earth are at 1000-year intervals. So this is pretty rare.

Source

I was just wondering what some of you think of this. It's not really news...just for discussion.

Since this only happens every 1,000 years...I'm probably going to be in Europe, Asia or Africa to see this.

[Red_91]

I thought an asteroid was going to hit in 2012? Dont know like I am probably wrong.

I dont know what to think of this really as its not going to happen, I would be grateful but if it did happen it would damage a country phyisically but the whoel world would suffer economically. Anyway an asteroid hasn't his in about a 1,000 years if I am correct thats why people are always going on about them to see if they hit. Asteroids won't be that bad actually, comets are worses, they can be undetected until months before it will hit, and they cause a lot of damage everywhere.

[Harwood Butcher]

I thought an asteroid was going to hit in 2012? Dont know like I am probably wrong.

I dont know what to think of this really as its not going to happen, I would be grateful but if it did happen it would damage a country phyisically but the whoel world would suffer economically. Anyway an asteroid hasn't his in about a 1,000 years if I am correct thats why people are always going on about them to see if they hit. Asteroids won't be that bad actually, comets are worses, they can be undetected until months before it will hit, and they cause a lot of damage everywhere.

I'm pretty sure asteroids are the big ones followed by comets and meteors. In 2012 there isn't going to be an asteroid that's going to hit us...it's supposedly going to be a huge planet almost the size of Jupiter, but solid mass. (I don't really believe that though)

[Red_91]

Comets are ice and dust and asteroids are just rock. I am pretty sure that Comets cause more damage as they always a lot larger than asteroids and travel at a greater speed, if you try and nuke it it would just clatter into more pieces and make more damage thats why there more dangerous I think, they are also very hard to spot, especially if they are coming frmo the suns direction.

[Harwood Butcher]

Comets are ice and dust and asteroids are just rock. I am pretty sure that Comets cause more damage as they always a lot larger than asteroids and travel at a greater speed, if you try and nuke it it would just clatter into more pieces and make more damage thats why there more dangerous I think, they are also very hard to spot, especially if they are coming frmo the suns direction.

Actually, asteroids are usually larger than comets, some even have their own moons, but comets do travel at much faster speeds. Although, a comet could cause more damage if it has greater momentum than an asteroid would. Since asteroids are usually larger than comets, comets would have to travel at great speeds to get the same amount of momentum as an asteroid. It all depends.

[ZigZagZig]

I thought an asteroid was going to hit in 2012? Dont know like I am probably wrong.

I dont know what to think of this really as its not going to happen, I would be grateful but if it did happen it would damage a country phyisically but the whoel world would suffer economically. Anyway an asteroid hasn't his in about a 1,000 years if I am correct thats why people are always going on about them to see if they hit. Asteroids won't be that bad actually, comets are worses, they can be undetected until months before it will hit, and they cause a lot of damage everywhere.

I'm pretty sure asteroids are the big ones followed by comets and meteors. In 2012 there isn't going to be an asteroid that's going to hit us...it's supposedly going to be a huge planet almost the size of Jupiter, but solid mass. (I don't really believe that though)

an asteroid the size of jupiter?? i dont think so. jupiter is like 600 time bigger than the earth. if an asteroid was that big it would be classed as a planet

[Spaz The Great]

I thought an asteroid was going to hit in 2012? Dont know like I am probably wrong.

I dont know what to think of this really as its not going to happen, I would be grateful but if it did happen it would damage a country phyisically but the whoel world would suffer economically. Anyway an asteroid hasn't his in about a 1,000 years if I am correct thats why people are always going on about them to see if they hit. Asteroids won't be that bad actually, comets are worses, they can be undetected until months before it will hit, and they cause a lot of damage everywhere.

Comets are ice and dust and asteroids are just rock. I am pretty sure that Comets cause more damage as they always a lot larger than asteroids and travel at a greater speed, if you try and nuke it it would just clatter into more pieces and make more damage thats why there more dangerous I think, they are also very hard to spot, especially if they are coming frmo the suns direction.

Comets and asteroids are virtually the same. Okay, so one is USUALLY((note the USUALLY)) bigger, and comets have ice in them. Big deal? They are both rather solid objects that would cause rather harsh damage if they made contact with Earth's surface.

[Red_91]

Oh found out that Asteroids also burn up in the earths atmosphere making them more smaller, and creating less impact. Comets dont get burned in the atmosphere. I would rather have a asteroid hit earth that a comet, a 500 mile dimaeter of a comet hit america it would wipe out all America.

[Harwood Butcher]

an asteroid the size of jupiter?? i dont think so. jupiter is like 600 time bigger than the earth. if an asteroid was that big it would be classed as a planet

I said a huge planet...

Comets and asteroids are virtually the same. Okay, so one is USUALLY((note the USUALLY)) bigger, and comets have ice in them. Big deal? They are both rather solid objects that would cause rather harsh damage if they made contact with Earth's surface.

It all depends on their momentum.

Oh found out that Asteroids also burn up in the earths atmosphere making them more smaller, and creating less impact. Comets dont get burned in the atmosphere. I would rather have a asteroid hit earth that a comet, a 500 mile dimaeter of a comet hit america it would wipe out all America.

I hope you know the asteroid that supposedly wiped out the dinosaurs wasn't even close to 500 miles in diameter. I don't think it was even 1 mile in diameter.

[Spaz The Great]

Oh found out that Asteroids also burn up in the earths atmosphere making them more smaller, and creating less impact. Comets dont get burned in the atmosphere. I would rather have a asteroid hit earth that a comet, a 500 mile dimaeter of a comet hit america it would wipe out all America.

Ummm... Comet = has ice in it. How, exactly, would that not become smaller?

[Red_91]

Oh found out that Asteroids also burn up in the earths atmosphere making them more smaller, and creating less impact. Comets dont get burned in the atmosphere. I would rather have a asteroid hit earth that a comet, a 500 mile dimaeter of a comet hit america it would wipe out all America.

Ummm... Comet = has ice in it. How, exactly, would that not become smaller?

What do you mean? Not sure how it won't become smaller, something do to with sulphur or something not sure to tell you the truth, but I definetly know they dont burn up in the atmosphere,

[Urbanoutlaw]

The universe is a big scary place!

Most objects burn up on re-entry (not sure about that Jupiter sized asteroid ). The problem happens when it's dense

enough to survive re-entry. Even after hitting the atmosphere they are still traveling at incredible speeds & when they hit, it's

like a nuke. I can't remember the source (probably Discover Channel) but the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs was only

something like 500 feet in diameter.

National Geographic link on Yucatan Crater (112 miles wide x 3000 feet deep).

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...pactcrater.html

[Ryder Johnson]

If a big comet hit us dust would be everywhere block the sun and earth would go into a another ice age . better hope that doesnt happend

[Charger]

Well Mars may be hit on Jan 30

http://cbs2.com/local/Mars.Asteroid.January.2.615674.html

[Harwood Butcher]

Well Mars may be hit on Jan 30

http://cbs2.com/local/Mars.Asteroid.January.2.615674.html

"It is similar in size to the Tunguska object that hit remote central Siberia in 1908, unleashing energy equivalent to a 15-megaton nuclear bomb that wiped out 60 million trees. "

That was suprising, supposedly, a small black hole that collided with the earth, not an asteroid. So I don't see why they're using that as an example.

Notice how they used the word "object" instead of asteroid.