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Just one more thing to worry about

Posted at 5:38 PM on November 25, 2008 by Bob Collins (2 Comments)
Filed under: Science

The Current's Mary Lucia and I were chatting a bit ago about what we would do if we learned an asteroid was heading for earth. Today, a conference got underway in Vienna to try to set up a global plan for diverting an asteroid heading for earth's midsection.

Mary said "at least it will be quick." But maybe not. Theoretically, according to experts, it should be possible to determine 15 years ahead of time that an asteroid is heading our way. Fifteen years. In fact, there's one roaming around around out there right now, experts say, that could hit us in 2029 if it goes through a small "keyhole" of space enough to deflect its orbit right into us.

I'll be 75 then, and not terribly concerned, although it may make me rethink the whole "long term" strategy for dealing with the stock market.

Oh, one of Mary's many listeners sent this video in which has nothing to do with asteroids but must've been frightening on its own. It happened in Edmonton last week and was captured by a dashboard camera on a police car. (link fixed)

You have to give credit to a cop who doesn't even slow down while driving toward a fireball from space that sure seemed as if it was heading straight for him.

Comments (2)

Asteroid headed for Earth? Duh, just call up some rough-neck oil workers to pilot space shuttles armed with nuclear devices into the thing.

Michael Bay solved this problem years ago.

Posted by Steve | November 25, 2008 6:12 PM

link to story doesn't work. Great video though!

Posted by gml4 | November 25, 2008 11:02 PM

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