Hardhats - don't leave home without them

Russia meteor strike was 'wake-up call'

An umbrella won't do it!

A METEOR that exploded over Russia in February was 20 metres in diameter and caused a blast equivalent to 600,000 tons of TNT, according to scientists studying the event.

The space rock blew apart 18.5 miles above the city of Chelyabinsk, briefly outshining the sun and inflicting severe burns on a number of observers below.

It was the largest object to hit the Earth since the Tunguska event of 1908, when an exploding comet or asteroid destroyed 2000 square kilometres of Siberian forest.

Analysis showed that the rock was a common type known as a "chondrite" - the kind most likely to cause a major extinction event in the future.

Professor Qing-Zhu Yin, from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California at Davis, US, said the meteor strike was a "wake-up call".

"If humanity does not want to go the way of the dinosaurs, we need to study an event like this in detail," he said.

The team said the Chelyabinsk object entered the Earth's atmosphere at just over 19 kilometres per second, slightly faster than had previously been reported.

Three quarters of the rock evaporated in the explosion, said the researchers, whose findings are reported in the journal Science.

Most of the rest of the object became a glowing orange dust cloud and only a small fraction - still weighing 4000 to 6000kg - fell to the ground.

The largest single fragment, weighing about 650kg, was recovered from the bed of Lake Chebarkul in October.

Shock waves from the airburst smashed windows, rattled buildings, and knocked people off their feet, more than 1200 of whom attended hospital.

Researchers visiting villages in the area found a region of shock-wave damage extending some 50 miles on either side of the meteor's trajectory path.

The object may have come from the Flora asteroid family in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. But the chunk that exploded over Chelyabinsk is not thought to have originated in the asteroid belt itself, the experts believe.

Source: Theaustralian.com.au

Comments

[Account Deleted]

1.

I blogged about this ages ago...http://www.andysrant.com/2011/11/clear-and-present-danger-not-catastrophic-anthropogenic-global-warming-but-killer-asteroids.html

Gov'ts around the world spent an estimated $380bn on "fighting" so called CAGW last yr...yet hardly anything is spent on finding these true planet killers...

[Jim Witt]

2.

"If humanity does not want to go the way of the dinosaurs, we need to study an event like this in detail,"

I beg to differ. If a mass extinction meteor hits earth there is nothing we can do about it other than go extinct.
What we have to study is engine technology, faster than light travel, and our universe.

We already know our dwarf yellow star that provides us life has a limited lifespan, and I am willing to bet a mass extinction meteor before then is a better than 50-50 possibility, so if man wishes to survive beyond this he has to find a way to go somewhere else.

[Arthur Dent]

3.

What we have to study is engine technology, faster than light travel, and our universe.
"faster than light" You want to arrive before you've left Jim?
My understanding is there has only been one instance of faster than light travel . It happened when Tony and Christopher ran from parliament. Unfortunately, Tony ran straight into a black hole and found himself back in his seat. doh!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LE16yS_n9HE&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DLE16yS_n9HE

[kraka]

4.

you forgot about Gillard, Windsor and co running away from Parliament like the cowards they are when they knew they were going to lose-at least Tony came back-but then again he was/is a winner-Doh!
Roll on 2025-the next time the ALP win government-seems light years away doesn't it.

[Arthur Dent]

5.

touché kraka - maintaining the space theme.
Anyway, we shouldn't be too concerned about Earth's destruction. If Jesus "was/is" telling the truth, then He's coming back to rapture us into the sky. Who needs a planet ?

[Allan]

6.

You are being baited, mate.

[AlterEgo]

7.

Roll on 2025-the next time the ALP win government-seems light years away doesn't it

A light-year is a measure of distance, not time!

Good to see Andy's Rant up on the site. Better than constant cut-and-paste of Bolt articles from the Daily Telegraph!

[Peter Simmons]

8.

Could not wait to get in with your anti- religion comment could you Artie.

How predictable for a person who thinks his smart-arse comments are humorous or witty.

You, with your great intelligence, should have worked out that if such atronomical events occur every 113 years in Russia that is the place to go.

I am sure you will be welcomed with open arms, and, freedom to make as many anti- Christian remarks you desire.

Have a great trip.

[Allan]

9.

"A light-year is a measure of distance, not time!" Is that so?

[Allan]

10.

Isn't it marvelous that some don't like the Daily Telegraph and Bolt while they drool over the ABC, Fairfax Press and Q&A. Poor disillusioned little cherubs.

[AlterEgo]

11.

True it is. It is the distance that light travels in a year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-year

Traditionally used in astronomy because of the vast distances involved, but is now being replaced by the parsec - info below, but too "heavy" for my brain!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsec

[Allan]

12.

Does the equation have an element of time as well as distance?

[AlterEgo]

13.

Marvellous, isn't it?

Don't really drool over the ABC, etc.

Peter Reith's articles on ABC's The Drum are an excellent read and attract hundreds of comments - both for & against.

Way back, Julie Bishop gave a brilliant performance on the ABC's "Yes we Canberra".

Barnaby Joyce performed quite credibly when he was on Q&A.

Now a sad confession. At a recent party, the discussion turned to politicians and one guest put the proposition, "Who from Parliament would you invite to a dinner party?'

Hate to say it, but I went for (you guessed it) Julie and Barnaby.

Not a Lab in sight.

[AlterEgo]

14.

I think I get what you are asking.

It is the distance that light travels in a year.

The year is a time element, but only in the sense of defining the distance.

Bit like saying a car goes 100km in an hour.

100km is the distance the car travels in an hour, but it is a distance.

[Allan]

15.

You are like Arthur Dint. As soon as someone call you out you swap sides with some mularchy or another.

I am not surprised by anything you say or do Smutsie, but just answer the questions!!!!!

[Allan]

16.

What drivel, you will have to do better than that.

[Arthur Dent]

17.

Christopher Pyne on Q&A - he loves it !

[Arthur Dent]

18.

trivia alert.

Ever watch Lost in Space in the 60s, Allan ?
Remember where they were headed ?
Alpha Centauri - one of the pointer stars of the Southern Cross.
It's just over 4 light-years away, the closest star system.

[Allan]

19.

Give you a heads up Arthur. I have been dabbling in Astronomy since my grandmother bought me my first crude telescope at about age 12. That was 60 years ago and I now have a 10 inch telescope that I use on most clear nights, so if you think you can add to my education about time and distance then go ahead.

In the meantime, your reference to a 60's Television programme as a reference is indicative of your pathetic schoolboy knowledge of the subject.

[Peter Simmons]

20.

You should know, Allan, that the Lefties ONLY accept what THEIR argument is.

Mere mortals like you and I are not in the same sphere of their intellectual and moral superiority.

When anyone proves their argument is wrong, they change the subject.

[kraka]

21.

Nope-I was trolling the troll

[kraka]

22.

Thankyou for that little titbit of common knowledge. You do know that people use the term "light years away" as an analogy to how far away it seems yes?
Perhaps if you re-read the post you could come up with a grammatical error or two. On the other hand maybe, just maybe, you could comprehend it in the context it was written without trying to nitpick. Troll

[Rumplestilskin]

23.

Don't let it go to your head, Andy, I would rather stick pins in my eyes than be endorsed by the sourpuss serial whinger Alter Ego. In fact, I am beginning to think his frontal lobotomy didn't take.

His crack at reprints of Bolt is a sign that his head is cracking open at the thought that the Coalition government have joined with everyone else and are repealing the legislation which tried to shut him up.
It is also a crack at Geoff who has been prominent in pushing the case for freedom of speech in general and Bolt in particular.
When MH carries a permanent "Support Bolt" it is only natural to keep reproducing his work so that readers can see why he should be supported.

[Account Deleted]

24.

Tks Pal for the wrap. I'll try and post interesting stuff

[Arthur Dent]

25.

An amateur astronomer, Alan ?
Are you familiar with Lawrence Krauss' work?
Amazing to think that we live in a time where the structure of the universe is comprehensible . Once the expansion rate of the universe exceeds the speed of light, any intelligent life forms that evolve won't know about the big bang of the past. They will think the universe consists of one galaxy in an infinity of space.
How lucky are we !

[AlterEgo]

26.

I don't understand.

What were the questions?

[AlterEgo]

27.

Cheers, Andy.

Let's have some fun!

[AlterEgo]

28.

Kraka, you said ...

Thankyou for that little titbit of common knowledge

Allan asked me ...

"A light-year is a measure of distance, not time!" Is that so?

I was answering his question!

If you had read some of my previous offerings, you would have read that I am quite sympathetic to Andrew Bolt.

For example ...

Incidentally, if you listen to Andrew Bolt with Steve Price at nights on 2GB, Andrew is much more measured in his comments, even to the extent that Steve gets annoyed with him. (16 Mar 2013)

Or this ...

I think his day in court hurt him greatly.

Sure he broke the rules, but it was only a slap on the wrist offence. He did not deserve the tirade he suffered.

He is actually a good listen though. Annoys his co-host Steve Price by being balanced in what he says, even if he then backs one side of the question (17 May 2013)

[AlterEgo]

29.

Ooops!

Part about Andrew Bolt was meant to be in reply to Rumplestilskin.

[AlterEgo]

30.

Returning to the original posting.

Probably the most "clear and present danger" that mankind is facing is Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming USA.

It is actually a giant caldera which goes off about every 500,000 years and is now overdue.

Previous eruptions have covered huge parts of USA in dust, ash, etc.

A global winter extending for decades would be the result.

By comparison, Mt Saint Helen was a firecracker.