Huge asteroid that narrowly missed Earth

[ExpandMyMind]

Quote

The largest asteroid to pass as close to the Earth in a century “slipped through” Nasa’s detection systems, internal emails reveal.

Named 2019 OK by scientists, the asteroid nearly passed by undetected as it came five times closer to Earth than the moon, documents obtained by Buzzfeed via freedom of information requests revealed.

It was first detected by a Brazilian observatory on 24 July just hours before coming within roughly 73,000km of Earth. Nasa’s failure to spot the 100-metre wide space rock highlighted longstanding concerns about a lack of US government funding for asteroid detection efforts.

MSN

73,000km seems really close. 

 

[+and-then]

It will happen someday.  No way to see them all in time.  The best we can hope for is it striking in unpopulated areas or so far out to sea that it doesn't cause as much damage.

[zep73]

Better luck with the next one.

[+Not A Rockstar]

It makes me wonder "in time to do what, exactly". I mean, what if they saw it a week earlier and it was going to hit us? 

I wonder what they would actually do. I wonder if we have agreements with Russia and China, for example, reference missiles to send up trying to hit it or something of the sort. An emergency notification plan or the like if any of those watching spot something, who to warn, what to do, etc.

I read some novel as a teen where one was coming in and the government decided not to tell the public as there was no time for them to all evacuate even if they did not panic and jam it to a standstill. Interesting novel, but, idk how likely it would turn out to be.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

1 hour ago, Not A Rockstar said:

It makes me wonder "in time to do what, exactly".

According to the article it would cause only localised destruction to an area around 50 miles across... so the obvious answer is evacuation. 

[Grim Reaper 6]

12 hours ago, ExpandMyMind said:

MSN

73,000km seems really close. 

 

This is the second Asteroid in so many months that wasn't detected until it would have been to late. 

Nasa really needs to upgrade their detection methods and systems.

 

[Peter B]

56 minutes ago, Manwon Lender said:

This is the second Asteroid in so many months that wasn't detected until it would have been to late. 

Nasa really needs to upgrade their detection methods and systems.

 

Which requires money, which requires Congressional approval, which means convincing Congress that giving them the money is more important than giving the money to some other agency or to no one at all...

Over to you, Congress-critters.

[Grim Reaper 6]

1 minute ago, Peter B said:

Which requires money, which requires Congressional approval, which means convincing Congress that giving them the money is more important than giving the money to some other agency or to no one at all...

Over to you, Congress-critters.

I really don't think that is an issue in this case. Congress and the Senate want to live like everyone else, they don't want an Asteroid sneaking up on Earth before they can get to their underground bunkers. Especially with the recent undetected Asteroids that have slipped through our scanning perimeter, I mean two in the last 60 days is enough to make them pay attention.