Philippines at Risk from Asteroids?

[dazedchiq]

it wouldn't really matter kung saan tumama ung asteroid... we can't control that, anyway. what we should think about now is how to defend the earth from being hit by an asteroid if it will cause a distater.

[Jun aka Pekto]

we have to thank jupiter for our existence.

Coz of Jupiter's huge size and powerful gravitational pull, parang vacuum cleaner sya... pulling in a lot of stray rocks.

If jupiter wasnt there, there would be no time for humans or complex life forms to evolve on earth. Every few thousand years there would be a catastrophic impact that would wipe out all life except maybe single celled organisms

The only thing about that is there's the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even Jupiter's gravity isn't enough to keep some of them from entering the inner solar system where Earth is. If I recall, there was a near miss with a 100-ft asteroid back in 1996. It passed close enough to where we have communication satellites in orbit.


Add: What hit Jupiter was a comet which probably moved at something like 130,000 mph. So it's not quite like an asteroid. It's actually much worse.

The National Geographic Channel has a nice documentary called Naked Science with one episode titled: "Killer Asteroid". As the intro says, "The ultimate weapon of mass destruction is a lump of rock spinning through space"

I recorded it because it might be good for my kid who has an interest in astronomy (as do I).

[uls]

Jupiter cant suck in every stray rock and comet. But it does suck in a lot.

Take jupiter out of the equation and u have even more stray rocks and comets with nowhere to go.

The earth would be hit more often without jupiter... that's my point po.

And that's not just my opinion.

http://www.bnsc.gov.uk/lzcontent.aspx?nid=4622

http://www.solarsystem.org.uk/jupiter/

[torque2006]

mas malaki pa ang chance na patayin kayo ng donkey kesa may bumagsak na asteroid sa pilipinas.

kung lahat iisipin naten eh lahat tayo magiging tuod.

[Jun aka Pekto]

Jupiter cant suck in every stray rock and comet. But it does suck in a lot.

Take jupiter out of the equation and u have even more stray rocks and comets with nowhere to go.

The earth would be hit more often without jupiter... that's my point po.

And that's not just my opinion.

http://www.bnsc.gov.uk/lzcontent.aspx?nid=4622

http://www.solarsystem.org.uk/jupiter/

I'm in total agreement. Jupiter's gravity is what keeps the Asteroid Belt in place. I just wished it was strong enough to keep all asteroids in place.

[chua_riwap]

it wouldn't really matter kung saan tumama ung asteroid... we can't control that, anyway. what we should think about now is how to defend the earth from being hit by an asteroid if it will cause a distater.

Oo nga, i-defend na lang ang mother Earth from these asteroids.

Possible kayang gawin yung ginawa nu'ng sa movie na Armaggedon?

[Zeus]

Kakatakot naman yan!

[uls]

I'm in total agreement. Jupiter's gravity is what keeps the Asteroid Belt in place. I just wished it was strong enough to keep all asteroids in place.

And if the earth got hit more often by mountain-sized rocks/comets... say every few thousand years... earth would be lifeless.

[Jun aka Pekto]

Here's part of that National Geographic Channel's Naked Science: Killer Asteroid in YouTube:

[oldblue]

malamang sa Mindanao tatama yan. sya yun pinakamalapad eh