Hey, Santa – duck! Space shaft buzzes Earth on Christmas Eve Unfortunate-looking Asteroid 2003 SD220 will shoot past Earth on Christmas Eve, say scientists tracking the mysterious speeding rock. The cosmic boulder is described as "highly elongated," and at least 3,600 feet (1,100 metres) in length. It was picked up this week by a 230-foot (70-metre) NASA antenna in Goldstone, California …
If someone asks me about the doom bringing asteroid, I'll ask them "which one?" The one last month, the one a month before that, the closer one two months before that, or one of the other three earlier this year? And how about the closer ones last year? Strangely though, I don't get asked about such much anymore...
no cause for concern
This is code for "we are fucked".
The Express has it right:
News of the close pass comes after it was reported yesterday that conspiracy theories believe a mysterious planet called Planet X or Nibiru, said to be four times the size of Jupiter will pass the Earth this month, but wipe out life due to its immense gravitational force ripping up continents and showering us with comets.
There is no science to back any of that up.
Not a problem! We produce our OWN science!
According to the Idea Girl Severe Storm Predictions Warnings website 2003 SD220 could have enough gravitational pull on Earth to trigger earthquakes or volcanoes.
It's actually an elongated Neutron Star that will switch on its immense gravitational field at periastron! We are doomed!
"one in 3M odds of intersecting with Earth. VERY roughly."
If you consider the odds of winning the lottery (last time I looked) are some 14M:1 and someone wins most weeks, then we are most seriously and definitely DOOMED.
Luckily I live on a Mediterranean Island and nothing comes here in the winter, not even disasters.
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