Every now and then we get a few days warning that a large asteroid will have a ‘close shave’ to the planet Earth. Newscasts usually limit the exposure of such stories to the final minute of the half hour, after the sports and weather. Typically it’s presented with a tongue in cheek opening statement like “heads up,” or the “sky will not be falling.” Get this news from the science world..
This past weekend, a “small space rock,” as it’s described by observers, was only discovered on November 14. It passed by the planet hours later—that was little to no advanced warning.. The most frightening part is not the timing, but the proximity to the planet: It was closer to Earth than weather and television satellites.
The asteroid is now named 2015 VY105. At the closest approach, it was only 21,000 miles from our pale blue dot called home, passing over the Pacific Ocean at 39,000 miles per hour.
LThere was no danger, we are told, even if the rock would have come closer. Much of it would have burned up in the atmosphere—somewhat like that great space junk in the Indian Ocean subject matter last week. Whoever would have seen it could have been treated to a spectacular meteor in the sky. But what could have been at risk: Our satellites.
While space is vast, the chances of a satellite being struck is slim. But if you’ve ever seen a disaster movie or read science fiction novels, you know it could happen. And when it does, all technological hell could break.
In the situation of VY105, it passed by without incident.
However, this is more food for thought.. more warning for the unwashed. What if the bigger one comes? What if the bigger one strikes? The term ‘without warning’ …
I recall a 1994 (I know that’s far back) Halloween special on CBS called WITHOUT WARNING. It portended to show a fictionalized news account of meteors striking the planet and the world effectively ending. That may be way beyond the pale. But what’s not beyond imagination: One of these “we just discovered” types bypassing the 70% of water on the planet and ending up in a place we’d rather not see it..
