SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Astronomers spot closest Earth-buzzing asteroid ever recorded :
Astronomers have identified an asteroid that's just made the closest pass to Earth ever recorded – and it was only spotted after it had passed. The object skimmed Earth's atmosphere over the weekend, close enough to have its orbit changed by the planet's gravity.
On August 16, an asteroid designated 2020 QG whizzed past our planet at a distance of only 2,950 km (1,830 mi) above the surface. That's well within the altitude of many satellites, and almost twice as close as the previous record-holder, an asteroid called 2011 CQ1. Of course, this record is about the closest pass to Earth, and doesn't include objects that have impacted the planet.
That said, even if it had hit, asteroid 2020 QG wouldn't have caused any damage. It measures about 3 to 6 m (10 to 20 ft) wide, meaning it would have just burned up in the atmosphere.
Perhaps the Monolith was doing a fly-by.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by FatPhil on Thursday August 20 2020, @08:49PM (12 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday August 20 2020, @10:44PM (2 children)
Actually I've found Khallow can sometimes bring up good points, and be fun to argue with - and what do we come here for if not to argue with each other?
And as a more general rule, I think we have a civic duty to ensure that any plausible-sounding misinformation presented in public get a solidly-grounded counter argument as quickly as possible, if only to slow the spread of misinformation.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday August 21 2020, @06:28AM (1 child)
However that's irrelevant, MY POST WAS A FUCKING JOKE!
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 3, Disagree) by Immerman on Friday August 21 2020, @02:07PM
Sorry, I have to disagree - unjustified personal attacks are not "jokes", they're bullying. Especially on the internet where communication lacks both tone and larger context. And as misinformation, they demand correction.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday August 20 2020, @11:00PM (8 children)
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday August 21 2020, @06:40AM (7 children)
(And note to Immerman: I think this makes my point, I suspect that khallow did detect the humour in my prior post, even though he was the subject of it (the *target* of it being post-hoc "warnings"), and has responded politely and wittily.)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Immerman on Friday August 21 2020, @02:18PM (4 children)
It seems you are correct, however I stand by my comment on jokes above, and the flamebait mod seems to agree with me:
Without the larger context of your apparently ongoing sparring, your statement is an inaccurate insult which can only serve to damage one or both of your reputations. Had you attacked them directly, or made clear that you were joking, it would be a somewhat different situation. But you presented it as an honest warning directed at an independent third party (myself).
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday August 21 2020, @03:38PM (3 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Friday August 21 2020, @04:03PM (2 children)
No - a post-hoc warning would be a warning that only applied to that specific comment. You presented it as warning about an ongoing trend.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday August 21 2020, @11:42PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Saturday August 22 2020, @09:13AM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by khallow on Saturday August 22 2020, @12:22AM (1 child)
What's your falsifiable criteria for "post something dumb" and what does that have to do with this thread?
A fair number of people complain about the lack of interesting discussion on scientific subjects. And at the time I started my post, no one had actually posted a thing yet to this story (Immerman who was the first to post completing a minute before I did). Is it really true that mentioning the value of even a brief period of early warning for a harmful asteroid strike is something dumb? Or results in uninteresting discussion as per my concern?
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Saturday August 22 2020, @09:17AM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves