2003 QQ47 - Doomsday scenario

[ƒORM]

A potential asteroid impact on 21 March 2014 has been given a Torino hazard
rating of 1, defined as 'an event meriting careful monitoring'. The newly
discovered 1.2 km wide asteroid, known to scientists as 2003 QQ47, has a mass
of around 2 600 billion kg, and would deliver around 350 000 MT of energy in
an impact with Earth. Currently, the overall probability of this asteroid
impacting Earth is 1 in 909 000. However, the orbit calculations are based on
just 51 observations during a 7-day period. Dr Alan Fitzsimmons of Queen's
University, Belfast, one of the expert team advising the UK NEO information
Centre said "The NEO will be observable from Earth for the next 2 months, and
astronomers will continue to track it over this period."

Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research Program (LINEAR), operating out of
Socorro, New Mexico, first observed the giant rock on 24 August and reported
their observations to the Minor Planet Centre in Massachusetts. The Minor
Planet Centre plays a crucial role as the clearinghouse for all new
discoveries of asteroids and comets. "As additional observations are made
over the coming months, and the uncertainties decrease, asteroid 2003 QQ47
is likely to drop down the Torino scale," said Kevin Yates, project manager
for the UK NEO Information Centre, based at the National Space Centre in
Leicester. "The NEO Information Centre will continue to monitor the latest
results of observations and publish regular updates on our website."

Asteroids such as 2003 QQ47 are chunks of rock left over from the formation of
our Solar System 4.5 billion years ago. Most are kept at a safe distance from
Earth in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. However,
the gravitational influence of giant planets such as Jupiter can nudge
asteroids out of these safe orbits and send them plunging into the Earth's
neighbourhood.

The British agency responsible for identifying potentially hazardous asteroids
says US astronomers are warning of a possible collision in 2014.


The UK Government's Near Earth Object Centre says American astronomers have
discovered a large, fast-approaching asteroid that could hit the Earth on
21 March, 2014.

But they add the chances of it doing so are just one in 909,000.

What is more, any risk of an impact is likely to decrease as further data is
gathered, they say.

Credible threat

The BBC's science correspondent Christine McGourty says that, although the
chances this asteroid will hit the Earth are slim, it is considered worth
monitoring due to its sheer size and velocity.

The rock is said to measure approximately two thirds of a mile across - only
one tenth of the size of the meteor thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs
65 million years ago.

It is travelling at a speed of about 20 miles per second.

"In theory such an asteroid could cause devastation across an entire
continent," Christine McGourty says.

It has been labelled "2003 QQ 47" and astronomers will be monitoring it
closely for the next two months.

Copyright 2003, BBC

**It may just be coincidence, but the Mayan calendar was drawn up in such a way that it ends completely in "2012" and, as we have seen, this is also the year of the third comet in the Bible Code.

[MC Hammered]

Well I guess I better party it up at Twisted 2014 if the world is going to end eh?

[*STARFISH*]

^

[Akeel]

i'll be living the high life till then if there's basically 10 years to go.

[Ragga_Wh0re]

thats some shiesty shit

[montana]

that is some crazy shit . keep up the good work lex , always giving us something to think about . I guess that means we can only go back to ibiza 11 times . Tough on a guy !!!

[Ryan Ross]

WERE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!!:141:

[cinist]

im excited!!