Asteroid Passes Closer To Earth Than the Moon on Nov 8

[Jokerman]

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/news/yu55-20111025.html

Watch how close it's going to come to taking out the Moon in this animation:

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/541440main_2005_YU55_approach.gif

 

[Preach]

so far, yet so close.

 

[Kobe]

They said this 400m wide asteroid could destroy a whole country if it made impact with Earth? Crazy.

 

[ArtsyGirl]

Kinda wish we didn't know stuff like this. Like what can they do if it's going to hit? I'm assuming the option from Armageddon is out. It's like Dylan said "I don't mind being shot man, but I don't dig being told about it" lol Same applies here.

 

[Synful*Luv]

What would happen if it did hit the moon and knock the moon out of it's current orbit? I mean, the one option being the moon is either flung out into space until it gets caught in the gravitational field of another planet. And the other option being that moon crashes into Earth. Let's say it doesn't crash into Earth, but we lose our moon nonetheless.. now what? What happens to us when there's no moon? I know the moon is connected with tides and certain mating cycles for sea animals (amirite?) but.. outside of losing the diversity in the sea and a few fishing jobs.. maybe some birds.. what happens? Anyone know??

 

[Chronic]

What would happen if it did hit the moon and knock the moon out of it's current orbit? I mean, the one option being the moon is either flung out into space until it gets caught in the gravitational field of another planet. And the other option being that moon crashes into Earth. Let's say it doesn't crash into Earth, but we lose our moon nonetheless.. now what? What happens to us when there's no moon? I know the moon is connected with tides and certain mating cycles for sea animals (amirite?) but.. outside of losing the diversity in the sea and a few fishing jobs.. maybe some birds.. what happens? Anyone know??

I don't know what will happen but I do know I have a cement bunker with enough supplies to survive it. No girls allowed.

 

[Flipmo]

What would happen if it did hit the moon and knock the moon out of it's current orbit? I mean, the one option being the moon is either flung out into space until it gets caught in the gravitational field of another planet. And the other option being that moon crashes into Earth. Let's say it doesn't crash into Earth, but we lose our moon nonetheless.. now what? What happens to us when there's no moon? I know the moon is connected with tides and certain mating cycles for sea animals (amirite?) but.. outside of losing the diversity in the sea and a few fishing jobs.. maybe some birds.. what happens? Anyone know??

You wouldn't have to lie about loving moonlight walks on the beach when meeting a potential girlfriend/boyfriend.

 

[Synful*Luv]

I don't know what will happen but I do know I have a cement bunker with enough supplies to survive it. No girls allowed.

Ah shoot. D:

You wouldn't have to lie about loving moonlight walks on the beach when meeting a potential girlfriend/boyfriend.

LOL!! This is true. Instead, I can be a hipster. "I used to take moonless walks on the beach before we lost the moon. I just waited for a cloudy night."

 

[Jokerman]

No moon = no werewolves. And then Bela and Jacob could...

Also, the moon landing would really be thought a hoax by later generations. "What moon?" "Who's Tupac?"

But something the size of this current asteroid wouldn't be big enough to knock the moon out of its orbit. Anything that could do that would probably break up the moon or else knock loose so much moon material that the earth would be bombarded by all that, which would be enough of problem.

It's not certain what would happen if, say, the moon just disappeared. Tides would be different and that would affect life in the oceans. Also, the earth's orbit might become unstable.

The moon is actually moving away from the earth on its own at about 1.5 inches each year. Centrifugal force, baby. Soon (2012) it'll move far enough away from earth's gravitational pull that it will leave orbit (and go to the moon).

Dogs then will have to howl at ...streetlamps, or clouds that remind them of the moon.

 

[Synful*Luv]

No moon = no werewolves. And then Bela and Jacob could...

Also, the moon landing would really be thought a hoax by later generations. "What moon?" "Who's Tupac?"

But something the size of this current asteroid wouldn't be big enough to knock the moon out of its orbit. Anything that could do that would probably break up the moon or else knock loose so much moon material that the earth would be bombarded by all that, which would be enough of problem.

It's not certain what would happen if, say, the moon just disappeared. Tides would be different and that would affect life in the oceans. Also, the earth's orbit might become unstable.

The moon is actually moving away from the earth on its own at about 1.5 inches each year. Centrifugal force, baby. Soon (2012) it'll move far enough away from earth's gravitational pull that it will leave orbit (and go to the moon).

Dogs then will have to howl at ...streetlamps, or clouds that remind them of the moon.

I just had to google that, but what I found on Space.com says that the moon and earth will eventually match each other's rotation until it takes about 47 days or so to complete one full spin. (not that this is predicted to happen anytime soon). I didn't know that. cool information.