Comet

Summary:

You need some real science.

Comet

Science (guest) 18 Feb 2010 23:51

Your argue against comets hitting the earth in 2012 is weak, full of Wikipedia? I could go there right now and make my own Wikipedia page full of supposed scientific info and sound convincing.
If you really want to debunk, the internet is full of actual scientific studies and such. This site http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=433;orb=1 and a bit of other info about au to km and knowledge about the moon and the size of the object, clearly shows with out a doubt that while the object will be close to earth in the beginning of 2012 it will still be over 23 million km away from the earth. Proving the it is impossible for this object to hit the earth.

Re: Comet

bikenbeer2000 19 Feb 2010 01:04

Are you saying that the comet page on this website is unconvincing because it doesn't have any precise orbital elements of the type displayed on the Near Earth Object program website? Which object are you saying should have its orbital elements displayed? Fictional objects don't have any orbital elements. If someone wants to make a claim of a close approach of a comet or planet to the Earth in 2012, then it is they who must supply the orbital elements. For all their supposed sightings of objects close to the Sun or only visible from the South Pole, precise orbital details are the one thing that they are curiously unable to provide.

Re: Comet

Richard (guest) 13 May 2010 02:15

Sorry to wake up a topic from it's eternal rest, but I just have a quick question about 433 Eros (which the link refers to). It says on NASA's website, in the factsheet, that this object will come within 0.17 AU from earth in 2012. Does this object pose any danger to us here on earth, or is this a safe distance for it to pass by? I'm aware that this is quite close in astronomical terms but since they (NASA) rank the impact probability to zero it must be quite safe, right?

Re: Comet

bikenbeer2000 13 May 2010 02:52

Celestial mechanics - the calculation of the positions of objects in the solar system - is very precise, especially in the case of objects which have been observed for a long period of time. Asteroid 433 Eros has been observed for over a century. The NASA page gives the uncertainities in its orbital elements and looking at the figures, its position is known to within about 100 metres. 0.17 AU is about 25 billion metres or 65 times the distance of the Moon. If they say it will come no closer than 0.17 AU, then you can bet your life that's what it will do.

Last edited on 13 May 2010 02:52 by bikenbeer2000 Show more

Re: Comet

Keith (guest) 25 May 2010 02:44

0.17 AU = 25,431,640 km or 15,802,490 miles which, as bikenbeer correctly notes, is 65 times the Earth-Moon distance.