This is just shoddy, stir-the-pot reporting that feeds the True Believers’ (idiots/morons) paranoia.
The RT.com website reported on February 29 “Scientists have detected a comet 140 meters in diameter that is due for a fly-by in 2040. There is an outside chance that it could collide with Earth.”
“An outside chance that it could collide with Earth.”
End of Days! End of Days! Bring out your dead!
The comet, designated AG5, is in an elliptical orbit that will bring it near Earth in 23 years. RT.com words: “within striking distance.”
“Although the chances are slim,” RT.com admits, “the possibility of impact is a little too close for comfort.”
Detlef Koschny of the European Space Agency’s Solar System Missions Division had this to say:
“In 2012, AG5 is the object which currently has the highest chance of impacting the Earth in 2040. However, we have only observed it for about half an orbit, thus the confidence in these calculations is still not very high."
In fact, NASA says AG5’s chances of hitting Earth in 2040 are 1:625, that is one chance in 625.
On the plus side, the 49th session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, meeting in Vienna, are using AG5 as an exercise to consider approaches and technologies to deflect meteorites and asteroids that approach to closely to Earth.
The problem, I believe are the True Believers (idiots/morons) who will tuck this 2040 date away and drag it out in 20 years to whip up a little unnecessary hysteria and frenzy and figure out a way to bilk people out of money for bullshit “comet survival” crap.
No comments:
Post a Comment