Only 325,000 km to the left...

...and all our problems would be solved.

An asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier seems huge, but is pretty tiny compared to the Earth.

I'm wondering, how large does an asteroid or meteor have to be in order to generate a disaster? Any asteroid will burn up somewhat upon entry into the atmo, so I'm guessing an asteroid would have to be several magnitudes larger in order for us to care.

Yes, but it would be travelling at unimaginable speeds. A typical asteroid would be moving at about 40,000 to 50,000 km/h. At impact, it would have the same effect as detonating thousands of nuclear weapons. Either way, it ain't gonna be a good day for the people living within several thousand kilometres of the impact zone.

Hell, even one that small would cause a regional disaster - it doesn't have to be very big to do that.

The year I was born. That's gotta mean something.

Rick should be in here any second to explain to us how we're in no danger of being hit by an asteroid and shouldn't waste money tracking them.

Every week I see several posts on here wishing for the asteroid to come. If you hate human life so much, why not just off yourselves now and get it over with?

You first.

Cuz I want all you fuckers to go with me!!

There's a big difference between hating human life and hating human civilization. I happen to hate the latter. As a species, we've cocked things up so badly that it likely would take an asteroid to hit the reset button and hope for better.

giant asteroid vs. gigantic asshole?

About the size of an aircraft carrier.

Gross conceptual error on your part, old chap.

I fully intend to survive.

It's all of you assholes that I want to die in a cosmic fireball.

DIAAI!
(Die in an asteroid impact)

At 400 meters in diameter it will wreck a lot of damage but it won't be the equivalent of thousands of nuclear weapons nor will people several thousand kilometers from the impact zone have to worry.

Play with this program:

http://www.purdue.edu/IMPACTEARTH

According to wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_YU55

"According to Jay Melosh, if an asteroid the size of 2005 YU55 (~400 meters) were to hit land, it would create a crater 4 miles across (1,700 feet deep) and generate a magnitude 7 earthquake."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Melosh

"Dr. H. Jay Melosh (born June 23, 1947) is an American geophysicist, renowned as an expert on impact cratering. He earned a degree in physics from Princeton University and a doctoral degree in physics and geology from Caltech in 1972. Dr. Melosh's research interests include impact craters, planetary tectonics, and the physics of earthquakes and landslides. His recent research includes studies of the giant impact origin of the moon, the K/T impact that extinguished the dinosaurs and the ejection of rocks from their parent bodies. He is also active in astrobiological studies that relate chiefly to the exchange of microorganisms between the terrestrial planets (a process known as panspermia, or in his terms transpermia [1]). In 1989, Oxford University Press published his book "Impact Cratering: A Geologic Process" (ISBN 0-19-510463-3)"

I like living, and while a lot of people are shitbags, I'd sooner have them alive than have everyone perish in some fiery apocalypse.

What makes you think you'll be so lucky?

Because everyone I leave behind would be all sad and junk.

But if everyone dies, then we're talking about a tidy, remorseless little arrangement.

Damnit Lanz. Get the bugs out of that machine.

I don't know, but I've got a hardon just thinking about it. :ele:

What sort of moron fantasizes that he dies while all the douchebags live? Are you retarded? Never mind. I already know. You're retarded.

I think you may be overstating that a tad.

Do you think we could at least get it to hit Washington DC?

"Missed it by that much."

Bah!