Close Meteor passes by

[tfujiwara]

My dad just told me about this. He said that he just heard it on the radio.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=7004217

I get scared easily with these kinds of news

edit: my bad for "meteor" I should had said astroid

 

[Lucas]

It's funny, because I saw it on the TV a few hours after it happened, apparently. So the following comes to my mind: I could have died without even knowing we were in danger. That's how the new's system works in Argentina

 

[homeforsummer]

Pics or it didn't happen


No...seriously. If it came that close some astronomer or other must have photographed it...

 

[Richardrfo]

 

[homeforsummer]

Thanks for that 👍

Interesting to see how many other bits of crap are floating past too. Pub fact: there is apparently up to 5.5 million kilogrammes of man-made rubbish floating around in orbit - and around 13,000 bits of tennis ball-sized or bigger bits of debris are being tracked in orbit (Focus Magazine, March 09).

 

[Richardrfo]

Thanks for that 👍

Interesting to see how many other bits of crap are floating past too. Pub fact: there is apparently up to 5.5 million kilogrammes of man-made rubbish floating around in orbit - and around 13,000 bits of tennis ball-sized or bigger bits of debris are being tracked in orbit (Focus Magazine, March 09).

That's in case they endanger the space station so it can manoeuvre out the way, if I remember correctly?
I'm sure that's what was said in a video I watched a few months back, while they were discussing a new satellite waiting to be launched, also showing some of the satellites currently up there being monitored.

 

[homeforsummer]

That's in case they endanger the space station so it can manoeuvre out the way, if I remember correctly?

You do indeed. They make adjustments to the course of numerous space stations all the time, as even tiny debris can cause a lot of damage. At orbit of 8km/s, even a 5 gram bolt carries as much energy as a 200kg anvil dropped from 24 storeys (Focus again). Even specs of paint can cause damage.