[OT] 17 years left. What to do?

[Zappo]

For instance, say it comes in through a hole in the ozone and lands on the rain forests of Brazil.

Why, what would ozone do to stop it?

 

[Umbran]

bolen: Hey, if it really is the end of the world, might as well spend the final days doing something intellectually stimulating. Plus, in this case, really - it will hit, or it won't and barring interference the fact of the matter has already been decided. Classical mechanics is deterministic. It's just that nobody has bothered to tell us which it is.

Katerek: A couple of technical notes -

Comets lose mass while circling the sun, but asteroids don't (unless they come close enough to the sun to actually melt stone). That sucker can circle for millions of years, and be the same size.

While some smaller asteroids do "detonate" in the air, to a thing that large, moving that fast, the earth's atmosphere pretty much doesn't exist. The mass of the thing won't be heated enough to cause it to explode before it hits, be it stony or nickel/iron. Sorry, but no "high altitude burst".

Similarly, things that size are difficult to "skip" off the atmosphere. It's too blasted big. If it's possible at all, the range of incident angles required is very small.

The ozone hole has little to no effect on asteroid impact. It isn't like the ozone layer is thick enough to absorb a mountain or anything.

 

[Paul_Klein]

And what would happen if it were to hit our moon? What would the effects be? (Here on Earth).

 

[Zappo]

And what would happen if it were to hit our moon? What would the effects be? (Here on Earth).

A great show?

 

[Umbran]

If the thing hit our Moon? Other than perhaps a few spare rocks blown off the moon and landing here, there'd be no effects. There'd be a pretty show, perhaps, if it hits on the near side, but nothing else.

The moon is huge compared to this rock. Huge as in 100 billion times heavier. The body of the moon would be completely unimpressed. There'd be no change in orbits, tides, or the like. The moon would just go about it's business as if nothing had occurred.

Similarly for the Earth (which is 10 trillion times heavier than the asteroid). The main body of the planet really wouldn't care about the impact. Our concern is based only upon the effects on the bioshpere - the thin layer whose exact tempreature and chemical composition and balance are so fragile and important to us.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Why, what would ozone do to stop it?

Nothing; I get the feeling he was either being facetious, or combining two environmental concerns for the sake of mentioning them. Regardless, the ozone layer would do nothing to stop a meteor or comet or anything for that matter. All it does at the altitude we're concerned with is block ultraviolet radiation. Mentioning it in regards to a meteor strike would be like mentioning the sunblock you're wearing if you were to get stabbed. Which means it's irrelevant.

 

[alsih2o]

A great show?

i am not an astronomer, but could it screw with the moons orbit? and if it did, what would the earth be like if it went tideless?

(edit, oops, missed umbrans post)

 

[Klaatu B. Nikto]

And what would happen if it were to hit our moon? What would the effects be? (Here on Earth).

A live action version of Thundarr the Barbarian?

A runaway comet is close tho I dunno if the moon could be shattered as a result.

Klaatu

 

[Zappo]

i am not an astronomer, but could it screw with the moons orbit? and if it did, what would the earth be like if it went tideless?

I'm 99% sure that it's too small to really influence the moon's orbit. Hey, maybe it could slightly change its rotation speed and we'd be able to see the hidden face finally.

I'm 100% sure the moon can't be shattered that easily.

The moon is big. Not as big as a planet, but as far as satellites go, it's one of the largest (if not the largest in the system, but I'm not sure of that). It can eat any number of those asteroids no problem. It probably already has. Much bigger ones just might alter its orbit, but to shatter it, well I have no idea of what could reasonably do it.

IIRC, many scientists believe that the moon had a great influence in protecting Earth from such threats.

Overall, I think that if it hits the moon we can only be very happy.

edit: effects on Earth? Assuming that the moon's orbit is not influenced... a big show. If it is influenced and it flies into the space, hell I don't know. If it is influenced and crashes into the Earth, nothing except maybe (just maybe) some of the toughest bacteria would survive, no matter how deep or tough is your shelter. Nah, on second thought, they would die too.

 

[Broken Fang]

It's not the largest...that would be Ganymede (orbits Jupiter), but it is one of the bigger ones. It is larger than Pluto and about 3/4 the size of Mercury.