[extropy-chat] NEO deflection

[Mike Lorrey]

--- The Avantguardian <avantguardian2020 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> --- David Lubkin <extropy at unreasonable.com> wrote:
> 
> > >The asteroid under discussion, with the provisional
> > designation 2004 MN4, 
> > >has now been assigned the number 99942 and the name
> > Apophis. (Apophis was 
> > >the Greek name of the Egyptian god Apep, "the
> > destroyer.")  Therefore, I 
> > >use this name below.
> > >2.  Background Review
> > >Apophis will make a very close pass by Earth
> > (roughly 37,000 km) on April 
> > >13, 2029.  The deflection of its trajectory by
> > Earth's gravity at that 
> > >time will greatly magnify the uncertainty in its
> > orbit, making predictions 
> > >of a possible future collision with Earth difficult
> > at this time.
>   
> What moron thought that dark eyptian gods were a good
> naming convention for this sort of thing. I mean if
> you are trying to scare funding out the public I can
> see why someone would do it. But asteroids are pretty
> scary on their own to anyone with half a brain.

Ah, but the namer must be a Stargate SG-1 fan. Remember there was an
episode of an asteroid on a collision course with Earth that turned out
to have a core of naquita, which had been set on course by the Gouauld
as a trick to get around the Protected Planets Treaty with the Asgard.
As Apophis was the worst of them in the early seasons of the show, its
a fitting moniker.


> 
> If you were Bruce Willis on some suicide mission to
> save the planet on Friday the 13th, wouldn't you
> rather go up against Fred the asteroid than Apophis
> the god of destruction that eats the sun? Especially
> when you are reliant on an army of twitchy
> astrophysicists and telemetry technicians on Earth?

Nope, if the Senate subcommittee funding my anti-asteroid project
called the asteroid Fred, I can count on getting half the money I
really need for the project. Especially if the asteroid has no spin and
its shape resembles an innocuous object, like a Mr. Potatohead or Mr.
Peanut. 

Nope, gimme an asteroid named Shiva, that spins menacingly in multiple
axes, and makes multiple close passes at Earth. I want the critics
quaking in their boots if I'm gonna get the job done.

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
Founder, Constitution Park Foundation:
http://constitutionpark.blogspot.com
Personal/political blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com

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