Astronomers have lost track of nearly 900 asteroids.

Did you see the Halley's comet in 1986? I did. And the prediction that it will be visible in 1986 was made many many years before 1986. In fact the orbits and predictions of sightings of comets have been made since Newton's time centuries ago. And Halley made a prediction that the comet, that was later named after him, would be visible in 1758 was found to be accurate after his death in 1742.

 

No I didn't. I was informed about it but I'm just not interested in that kind of thing. Stuff like that seems such an anti-climax to me. When it's over I always think 'Oh, was that it then? Now what shall I do?'

 

Ok. Do you believe that the comet was observed in 1986?

 

Yes, a friend told me she'd seen it.

 

This comet is traveling at 160,000mph. How does this fit in with your post where you stated "How can they 'track' something in deep space which is travelling at nearly 30.000mph? Do you understand how fast that is?? This isn't 'science', it's fake science, and you know it." ?

You may next say that the speed of 160,000mph is wrong. But the predictions would not be proven to be correct if the speed was wrong.

 

Space rocks. Made me think about the hysteria around the global warming that has been blamed on man. All of the warming, our fault. And then the doomsday predictions of this warming.

Yet the real threat to humanity is not a warmer earth. It is being hit by a big space rock. And it isn't "if" we will be hit, but "when" we will be hit. And yet no one is getting hysterical about that.

 

Both are threats, one of which we directly effect

 

The warming is not even in the same camp as a large space rock impacting earth. In fact, I am not buying into the doomsday predictions of a warmer earth. A large enough space rock is doomsday.

We will not always be on fossil fuels. But space rocks ain't going anywhere.

And there may be more positives than negatives from a warmer earth. There is no certainty here in regards to a warmer earth. Yet some act like there is. I don't think that is scientific at all. Smells more like a doomsday religion.

 

You have NOTHING to support your ridiculous idea of a "gravy train".

 

The earth's surface is three quarters water, so you'd have to be seriously unlucky to be on the receiving end of a space rock? And 'global warming'? Looking out at yet another effing forecasted overcast day and no sun to be had - bring it on!

 

Don't I? Okay then, have it your way.

 

Yes, but hitting water is only perhaps a little better, and can still take out human life.

Pretty sure the earth has warmed slightly, and probably a bit faster because of co2 levels, but it is just speeding up a most natural cycle, and since man is a part of nature, his co2 is also natural and will become a part of this natural cycle. I doubt it will be more negative than positive. Not a doomsday as the hysterical believe. It is like a religion to them, with its own doomsday.

 

delete

 

Hopefully you someday learn what seasons are and what they mean in the context of axial tilt.
Ya' see win we getsus dem coly days da udder side ah da earf gitses all hawt an stuff, butt win it gits hawt here day gets coldy an stuff.
Australia had a very bad summer of heat and is expecting a very cold winter. We had a very weird and cold winter and are expecting a brutal summer. The climate of this planet is in flux right now and will likely change even more whether your mind grasps it or not, and truth be told it does not even matter really. If you are correct we have nothing to worry about and if the data and science are correct we are powerless to do anything anyway. Best part is that we are about to deal with climate change in overdrive as this kicks in:

 

That analogy is so far off base and wrong it is tempting to use the personal insult against you that you posted against him.

Nor is there any such thing as a "shooting star," but I suppose in your self-declared expertise in astronomy you know otherwise.

 

I see...please explain the error of my analogy. I did not insult him as much as honestly evaluate the level at which his mind seems to function.

I am also well aware stellar bodies do not enter our atmosphere and that you simply wanted to attempt debasement...you failed.

 

Among the greatest threads to humans is a pandemic and possibly resulting from laboratory created altered virus, bacteria or fungus dna.

 

Of course you insulted him, greatly so, as well as declaring you have some vastly greater intellect. You do not. Such arrogance and insults is not rare for some Democrats or in your messages.

It is not possible for astronomers to look at all of the universe, unlike looking at a race track. Only notably small sections can be "observed" visually or by radio telescope and then the focus (or distance) also has to be specified and is a great limitation. Nor do race cars travel a calculable consistent speed. Asteroids do.

In addition, looking for something is space often in not looking to see it, but trying to detect what you can not see - meaning light or other blockage - similar to the method now used to try to track submarines, ie to look for "holes" in the ocean by detecting nothing, when the ocean background should be detected. Finding objects that do not emit radiation or light is often a matter of looking for light or radiation that is being blocked - to look for black or nothingness spots - particularly moving black or nothingness spots.

The only criticism of losing asteroids has nothing to do with "seeing" them. It has to do with miscalculating their paths, which can be calculated. If correctly calculated it is no longer necessary to look for an asteroid trying to find it again as it is already known where it will be at any time in the future. "Losing" an asteroid means someone miscalculated the travel path or did not gather enough information before "losing" it. Granted, doing so is quite difficult but it can be done.

 

Firstly....an asteroid is not noted by observing the Universe it is found by observing a very small patch of visible space.
Secondly....seeing an Asteroid is useless when calculating orbit or distance. At least two and usually several observation are required for even minimal trajectory calculation.
Finally ...any car can be tracked for speed and any object closer takes up more of your field of vision which our brains process as going faster than a smaller view from far away.

This is not complicated and very simple to notice every day.

 

And our destruction of the rain forests isn't helping? Ah well, que sera sera.